Cadence's young teenage life after she arrived in Canterlot after the suspicious death of her mother.
Cadence's life isn't exactly typical, even for a mortal alicorn. Trouble seems to find her in a big way wherever she goes and whatever she does, whether it's goblins, malcontents or mutated changelings. There seems to be no end to her problems.
It was a dark and stormy evening. Princess Celestia was having trouble concentrating on her paperwork due to the frequent, distracting strikes of thunder and lightning outside. On pausing for a moment, she thought of her sister. She gave a slow sad sigh.
She raised her quill again only to be distracted again by a gale which was howling outside. She took a moment to think of her subjects, and hoped that they were all inside with their friends and family rather than out in the raging storm. A moment later, somepony knocked at the door. A servant entered.
‘A filly’s just arrived who requests an audience with you,’
‘A filly?’ replied the princess, startled, ‘She surely didn’t come through this storm?’
‘She seems to have travelled a long way,’ the servant added, ‘there’s a group trying to dry her off.’
‘What is this filly?’ Celestia asked.
‘A unicorn, I think,’ the servant answered. Celestia nodded. ‘Shall I bring her in?’ Celestia nodded again. As she waited, Celestia wondered who this filly could be and why she wanted to see her. Celestia also thought that the filly must be pretty strong willed to be able to brace the elements outside.
The pale pink filly was escorted in by the servant and another pony, the only mare in the Royal Guard at the time. The filly looked very nervous and had a towel wrapped around her middle, an attempt to dry her off. The servant was carrying another towel and was trying to dry other parts of her as they walked along, while the guard was trying to give the filly reassurance. No-pony could have avoided noticing that the nervous filly, who was in her early teens, was very pretty. Celestia wished that she could do something to calm the filly’s nerves.
The servant removed the towel from the filly’s middle, then dropped it in surprise. Wings! This filly was an alicorn! A mortal one, Celestia knew, for she would have sensed immortality immediately, but, never the less, an alicorn.
After recovering from this discovery, the servant urged the filly forward. The filly slowly walked forward with a nervous but determined look on her face.
‘You wanted to speak with me?’ Celestia asked gently. The filly swallowed and nodded slowly. ‘What is your name?’
‘Mi Amore Cadenza,’ the filly replied.
‘And what is it you wanted to speak with me about?’
‘I, well, I . . . I need your help, more advice, really, I have no-pony else to turn to,’ The filly paused, and Celestia waited for more. ‘My father was a pegasus pony, his name was Clef, but he died during a landslide. My mother was an alicorn, an immortal one; her name was Pulchra . . .’
Celestia’s eyes widened. She recognized that alicorn’s name. A cousin, perhaps? No, a half-sister? Yes, she was something like a half-sister. Now she thought about it, she certainly did remember at least a couple of things: Pulchra was renowned for being very beautiful and her special talent seemed to be rejuvenation.
‘She’s not,’ Celestia began, aghast, ‘she’s not dead, is she?’ The idea of an immortal alicorn dying seemed so unnatural.
‘I don’t exactly know,’ said Mi Amore Cadenza, ‘at least, the doctor said that she was dying and that there was nothing I could do to help her. The last time I saw her she seemed to be in some sort of coma and her eyes were all funny, then the doctor sent me away.’
She was unable to hold back her tears any longer. Celestia put a foreleg around her. Celestia decided that the doctor had sent the filly away assuming that she would go to her father, but these circumstances, they did seem a bit odd to say the least.
‘Did you notice anything odd about your mother’s behavior prior to this?’ Celestia asked. The filly nodded tearfully.
‘She kept saying she’d seen my father,’ the filly told her. Celestia stared. ‘But not just that, she’d go out and meet him. And when she returned, it really seemed like she had.’ This keeps getting weirder and weirder, Celestia thought.
‘Why have you come to see me?’ Celestia inquired.
‘I don’t know what to do,’ the filly admitted, ‘my mother always said I would have to leave her but she never had the chance to tell me what I need to know about my future or about life. I was hoping you could give me some advice like where I should go to apply for a job, or . . .’
‘You will do no such thing,’ Celestia told her, ‘you will live here and I will look after you.’ The filly’s eyes widened and brightened.
‘Really?’ she asked.
‘Really,’ Celestia responded. Before Celestia knew what was happening, she was being hugged by the filly.
‘Oh, thank you, thank you!’ Mi Amore Cadenza cried, ‘Thank you so much!’
‘It’s nothing, really,’ Celestia replied, feeling both surprised and complimented but she also couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty. She well knew that her actions were partly due to her own loneliness without her sister and that also the filly would distract her from thinking about Luna. But as she looked down at the filly, she knew she had done the right thing for her half-sister’s foal, and realized, also, that she had already become quite fond of her.
*
‘My special talent is love,’ Mi Amore Cadenza explained, ‘I can mend broken relationships and things like that. May I ask . . ?’
‘I raise the sun,’ Celestia replied.
‘Every day?’ Mi Amore Cadenza asked.
‘Every day,’ Celestia told her, ‘I raise the moon too . . . but . . . well . . . that’s not supposed to be my job . . .’ She decided this wasn’t the time to tell her about Luna. Luckily, Mi Amore Cadenza, didn’t ask.
‘That sounds like a lot of work,’ the filly said, ‘and rather restricting.’ Celestia nodded. ‘May I ask how you became a princess?’ she continued. Celestia looked a little surprised.
‘It’s quite simple really,’ Celestia began, ‘alicorns tend to move around, helping ponies with problems that they can solve, generally by using their special talent. Those who settle, become royalty automatically. You’re a princess now too.’ It was Mi Amore Cadenza’s turn to look surprised. ‘There’s a small issue with your name,’ Celestia said carefully, ‘it’s just that it is, well, it’s still a bit . . .’
‘A bit of a mouthful?’ the filly suggested with a small smile.
‘Well, yes,’ Celestia replied slightly hesitantly, ‘we need a way of shortening it or a nickname.’
‘My mother always called me just ‘Mi Amore’,’ the filly responded with a shrug, ‘I never, really, thought about how much I actually liked it.’ Celestia thought for a moment.
‘What about using the other part of your name?’ suggested Celestia, ‘What about ‘Cadence’, like the music term?’ The filly nodded. ‘I will try to see you as much as possible,’ Celestia continued, ‘but I am often very busy so it may be difficult.’
‘I will appreciate any time you can spare for me,’ Cadence answered, ‘thank you so much for everything.’
It had been such a short time since the new princess, a niece of Princess Celestia’s (as that was the easiest term to use), had arrived in Canterlot, however, she had already made a distinct impression. She was described by those at the old ponies’ home as ‘an angel’, perplexed the servants by her frequent offers to help them and assisted earth ponies by carrying their heavy or inconvenient loads by magic, among other things.
Celestia first got wind of her niece’s activities when she found out she had begun foalsitting. Celestia had been concerned that Cadence didn’t realize that they could easily afford nearly anything, that was until she found out that Cadence was doing it free of charge, not only that, but she was loved by the foals she looked after and she was even trying to make it up to those ponies who were losing out due to her offering her services for free. Celestia had also received a large amount of positive feedback about Cadence from many ponies.
It was midmorning now, and Celestia was waiting for Cadence who hurriedly entered the room slightly out of breath.
‘Sorry I’m late, Auntie Tia,’ Cadence puffed, ‘one of the servants is rather sick so I decided to bring him some breakfast in bed.’
‘That’s alright,’ Celestia said, ‘but you do know you don’t have to do so much for others.’
‘Oh, but I want to, I like helping others, which reminds me, I said I’d foalsit Twinkleshine a little later on.’ Cadence responded.
‘That’s fine, Cadence, but before I forget, I will not be here tonight,’ Celestia told her, ‘I am making a journey and will return in time to raise the sun tomorrow.’ Cadence nodded.
Celestia was glad, especially as Cadence seemed to often be rather curious, as she didn’t want to raise Cadence’s hopes. Celestia had decided to go and find out what had happened to her half-sister and thought there might be a small possibility of saving her.
‘Now,’ continued Celestia, ‘is there anything that is bothering you?’
‘There is one thing,’ Cadence said slowly. Celestia waited. ‘There’s this filly, one of the ones disadvantaged by my foalsitting, but unlike the others, she hasn’t warmed to me at all. Whatever I try, it doesn’t work. I think she may downright dislike me . . .’
‘Maybe you’re trying too hard,’ Celestia suggested in a comforting tone, ‘perhaps if you are just polite to her; it’s possible your actions are annoying her.’ Cadence nodded.
‘May I take a book with me outside to read?’ Cadence asked.
‘Of course,’ Celestia replied. As Cadence hurried off, a servant approached Celestia.
‘We seem to have a small infestation of goblins,’ the servant told Celestia, ‘no-pony’s discovered where they’re based yet.’ Celestia was rather concerned.
Goblins looked like ponies in some ways, but were generally not much bigger than the average foal. They travelled in groups of three to five normally, but would split up once decided on an area. Although a large amount of these small groups lived together, they were not much of a threat in that sense because they never had a leader. The way they were a threat was that a single goblin could easily attack a foal, and would if they got the opportunity, and, a small group, if they dared, could do a lot worse.
‘We can’t have them settling here,’ Celestia stated, ‘I’ll assign some of the Royal Guard to tracking down their base. All the ponies in Canterlot must be warned about them and take precautions.’
*
Cadence was lying down near a small river, the place she had arranged to meet Twinkleshine’s parents, reading a book while the occasional seapony bopped up from the riverbed to greet her and to enjoy the sun and shade. Cadence paused at a section titled ‘Malcontents’.
According to this book, these malcontents were a group of ponies who were dissatisfied with their lot in life, generally caused by a dislike of what their cutie mark meant for them to do. These ponies could pop up in any town and any family. These malcontents were a reason ponies often told their foals not to try to rush their cutie mark. Ponies in this group were on a spectrum with the least effected merely more inclined to resentment and the most resulting to defying their cutie mark which often led to otherwise unexplainable acts of evil, which often led to slight changes in appearance.
Cadence’s reading was interrupted by a young seapony asking if there was anything in her book about them, and then by the arrival of Twinkleshine and her parents. As Cadence foalsat Twinkleshine, she was unaware that she was being watched by a pair of red eyes, which, a little later, disappeared, and was replaced, by three pairs. The eyes belonged to three small pony-like creatures, three goblins.
‘Do you see what I see?’ hissed the one in the middle, (whose horn, if he had been a pony, would have looked like it had been broken off,) digging his claws, (which began on all of them partly down the forelegs and ended around the hooves), into the ground in excitement.
‘A pony maybe?’ came the sarcastic tone of the one who had what looked like small dragon wings. The horned goblin scowled, and the third, who had what looked like thorns sticking out of his back legs, sniggered.
‘You foals!’ spluttered the horned goblin, ‘That pony’s an alicorn! Don’t you know how much an alicorn’s horn is worth even at that size! And what luck when alicorns are so rare, to find one that is actually small enough to take!’
Twinkleshine had now been joined by two other foals, Tex and Serviet. Cadence laughed happily, enjoying the company of the foals who were now running around her playing tag.
‘Should we try to grab her then?’ the winged goblin asked the horned goblin.
‘Of course not,’ the horned goblin replied, ‘especially not with those foals around. We can’t afford any hindrances.’ The three of them glanced over at the foals who were now looking at Cadence in adoration.
‘Uh, then what do we do?’ inquired the earth goblin.
‘We lie low and watch her,’ the horned goblin responded, ‘we find her weakness and then we trick her!’
*
The three foals were lying down, jealously guarding Cadence, who had just finished telling them a story about a pony named Pink Pearl who had found some magic crystals in a cave in the side of a volcano. They had wanted her to tell them another story but then Twinkleshine’s parents, Serviet’s mother, and Tex’s father had turned up, the latter two had been wondering where their foals had disappeared to and were relieved to find them in Cadence’s care.
The foals were rather disappointed that they had to leave. Once the foals and their parents had gone, the horned goblin turned to the other two.
‘Right, she’s alone,’ he sneered, ‘let’s go!’ It was almost evening now, and Cadence was wondering if she should head back before the pixie ponies (small pony-like creatures which came out and night which were the size of fireflies and had antennae which glowed yellow, making their whole body look that color) came out when she heard a shout.
Was that a cry for help? Cadence galloped towards the noise. She halted at the edge of a cliff, sending a little debris over the side. Cadence looked down and gasped. Three goblins were hanging onto parts of the cliff.
‘Please help us!’ said the winged goblin.
‘We’ve been holding on for so long!’ exclaimed the earth goblin (they had been holding on for about twenty seconds). It was instinctive for a pony to run away after seeing a goblin whatever the situation, however, Cadence’s instinct for care and kindness got the better of her.
‘How can I help you?’ asked the anxious princess, ‘can’t you pull yourselves up?’
‘We’re too weak!’ the horned goblin said.
‘And my wing got damaged!’ the winged goblin told her.
‘Don’t worry,’ Cadence told them hurriedly and reassuringly, ‘just grab onto me and everything will be alright.’ The three goblins grabbed onto her once she had lowered herself, the earth goblin deliberately digging his claws into one of Cadence’s wings, hoping to damage it enough that she would be unable to fly for a few days. Despite the pain this caused her, Cadence still managed, through a grimace, to pull the three goblins up. After achieving this, Cadence took a few minutes to catch her breath.
‘Thank you so much!’ said the winged goblin.
‘You saved our lives!’ added the horned goblin.
‘Sorry about your wing . . .’ said the earth goblin.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ Cadence said kindly, looking at her wing with a little concern, ‘it will be alright.’
‘Of course it will be,’ said the horned goblin, placing a hoof on her shoulder. Cadence tried her best not to show how uncomfortable she was with this. ‘Spite,’ The winged goblin looked up, ‘our savior will be in need of a drink . . .’ the horned goblin continued.
The winged goblin hurried off. He turned to the earth goblin.
‘Cunning, we will need something to bandage her wing.’ The earth goblin hurried off too. ‘I’m so sorry, we don’t know your name,’ the horned goblin said, through a smile which showed all his bright yellow, slightly sharp, teeth.
‘It’s Cadence,’ the princess replied, still feeling uncomfortable.
‘And what is your special talent?’ asked the horned goblin, pretending to be interested in her, ‘Is it music by any chance?’
‘No,’ Cadence responded, beginning to feel a little more comfortable, ‘although that was a pretty good guess; it’s love.’
‘Are you a crystal pony by any chance?’
‘What’s a crystal pony?’ Cadence asked but at that moment the other two returned.
The winged goblin was carrying a bucket of water which he placed in front of Cadence. At the same time, the earth goblin and the horned goblin were binding her wing.
‘Drink as much as you want,’ the winged goblin told her, ‘I can always get more.’
‘Thank you,’ Cadence responded, ‘thank you very much.’
‘Are you a princess?’ inquired the earth goblin.
‘Of course she is,’ the winged goblin exclaimed, ‘could any ordinary pony be so beautiful!’ Cadence’s face went slightly pinker and she gave a small smile. Perhaps the stories that she had heard about goblins had been exaggerated.
‘It’s beginning to get chilly,’ came the voice of the horned goblin, ‘we must keep our princess warm.’ He quickly summoned some fallen branches and some small rocks by magic. Soon, there was a small fire giving off purplely-black flames. ‘Is that better?’ he asked Cadence, who had only just realized how dark it was and how late it was getting. She hesitated.
‘It is better, but I didn’t realize how late it was getting; I had better head back.’ Cadence explained, feeling a little guilty. The goblins seemed rather disheartened by her response.
‘Oh, please don’t go,’ the winged goblin pleaded.
‘Couldn’t you stay here with us just for the night?’ asked the horned goblin, blocking her path.
‘We can provide everything you need,’ the winged goblin added quickly.
‘I – I dunno . . .’ Cadence mumbled, ‘I’ll be missed and . . .’ But as she said this, and as she looked at the faces of the somewhat desperate goblins, the thought that Princess Celestia would have left now and wouldn’t be back until dawn crossed her mind.
‘You’re in perfectly safe and capable hooves,’ added the earth goblin in a reassuring tone.
The goblins seemed very happy with this result and quickly set to work. Cadence did feel rather guilty about telling no-pony what she was doing but she knew that if she did tell anypony, they would probably not allow her to do it.
The goblins appeared to put their best efforts into making camp and making Cadence feel as comfortable as possible. They provided her with a good meal too. At first, she was concerned that they weren’t eating too but they claimed that they preferred to eat later in the evening. She soon settled down to sleep. She was slightly worried about going to sleep with goblins so close by, but then, she thought, even if they were as bad as they had been made out to be, surely these three wouldn’t dream of harming her after she had saved their lives.
After they had said goodnight to her, the three goblins walked back over to the fire, exchanging nasty grins.
Cadence opened her eyes. It was almost dawn. She thought of Princess Celestia. She’d be back soon and worrying. It had been Cadence’s worry and guilt which had caused her to wake so early. She needed to get back. Whatever the goblins said, she was leaving.
She spotted them over by the fire. She silently walked towards them, but then concealed herself. She got a sudden bad feeling from the tones of their voices. As she looked around, she noticed that the winged goblin was hovering. Hadn’t he said his wing was damaged?
‘So we’ll take her back to the base,’ the winged goblin was saying, ‘so we can collect a few things, and then . . .’
‘We go off into the mountains!’ exclaimed the horned goblin, taking another enthusiastic bite of the meat he was eating, leaving bits of blood around his mouth. Cadence sincerely hoped that meat wasn’t what she thought it was; but what were they talking about?
‘So what are we going to do to her then?’ asked the earth goblin eagerly.
‘Well,’ replied the horned goblin with a horrid chuckle, ‘I have a number of ideas . . .’ The other two waited enthusiastically. ‘First, we enslave her. I dare say there are quite a few things that princess can do without being damaged too much . . .’ The other two goblins snorted with laughter.
Cadence felt sick. They were talking about her!
‘That way we can wait around a little until she gets a bit bigger,’ the horned goblin continued, ‘and then she and her horn will be more valuable.’
‘We will be the envy of all the goblins that see us!’ exclaimed the winged goblin.
‘And we’ll be rich,’ added the earth goblin, ‘once we’ve cut her horn off.’
Cadence only just managed to hold back a terrified squeal.
‘And the horn isn’t the only valuable thing,’ the horned goblin told them, ‘the mane and tail, and, of course, the wings; I think the teeth may be of some value too actually.’
Cadence had begun to shake violently.
‘What about the skin?’ the winged goblin asked, ‘we could skin her!’
‘While she’s still alive!’ added the earth goblin, nudging the winged goblin who grinned.
‘She’d make a nice coat, perhaps,’ the horned goblin sneered, ‘or maybe we could use her to line our boots . . .’ The other two laughed.
Cadence felt like sobbing. She felt so betrayed. For the first time she wished she wasn’t so kind and caring. If she weren’t, she wouldn’t be in this awful situation. They had never needed her help, it had all been a horrible trick.
‘You two seem to have forgotten about the meat,’ the horned goblin continued, ‘pony is rather delicious . . .’ The other two nodded vigorously, saliva dripping from their mouths.
‘How are we going to get her there?’ asked the winged goblin.
‘Simple,’ responded the horned goblin, ‘I can send one living creature to sleep for a short time every twenty four hours. She should be awake by the time we’ve collected our things from the base. We will put everything in a wagon and ride in it ourselves while forcing her to pull it the rest of the way.’
‘How come we didn’t leave last night then?’ asked the earth goblin.
‘Because it’s hard to see in the dark and we need our rest,’ the winged goblin snapped.
Cadence tried to calm herself; they hadn’t seen her, they didn’t know she was there; she might be able to save her skin (and a large amount of her body parts by the sound of things) just by quickly sneaking away.
She picked herself up with slight difficulty, as she was unable to stop, or even control, her shaking. She took a few steps back. A twig cracked loudly beneath her back right hoof. The three goblins turned, their red eyes fixed on the staring, terrified, princess.
For a long moment, they just stared at each other. Cadence suddenly came to her senses; she turned tail and bolted off as fast as her hooves could carry her.
Cadence hadn’t been the only pony to wake up early. Shining Armor hadn’t slept well for four days. His parents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light, were beginning to worry. It was so early that Shining Armor’s little sister, Twilight Sparkle, who had a habit of waking up early, wasn’t awake yet.
As he was up so early, Shining Armor had decided to go and do some training as he had high hopes of getting into the Royal Guard. He wondered if getting into the Royal Guard would earn him his cutie mark. He couldn’t understand, and neither could anypony else, why he didn’t have it. The only explanation he could come up with was he needed to do something specific, or, something specific had to happen for it to appear. It had been so long since everypony his age had got theirs, or it had been a key topic of conversation that he often forgot he didn’t have one.
He had left a note for his parents and his sister before he left and was now occupying himself with trying to think about anything but her, his ex-fillyfriend, who had dumped him, via her little sister, Trixie, who had been sent round to tell him very bluntly that he was no longer relevant. He sighed, it wasn’t that he had been dumped, it was the way he had been dumped. He hadn’t liked her that much in that way, he had felt sorry for her, so made friends, then it had developed, he had thought he could help her but he had been wrong. Either that, or she had got over confident and decided she didn’t need him anymore.
He didn’t really know why he was so surprised; she always was a bit of a malcontent. Whatever the reason, the result was the same. He was a dumped colt with no cutie mark. He was just about to start training when he thought he heard a terrified scream. He stopped and listened. There was another one. Somepony was in trouble! He galloped towards the noise.
*
Cadence couldn’t help but scream. The conversation between the goblins she had just heard wouldn’t stop echoing in her head. The goblins weren’t gaining on her much, yet, but she knew she couldn’t keep this speed up for long, and certainly not all the way back. As she thought this, her eyes pricked with tears.
Suddenly, as Shining Armor was galloping, a pale pink streak passed in the opposite direction. He stopped and concealed himself among a couple of trees as he heard hooves approaching. It is doubtful that the goblins would have noticed him if he were in the open. He watched them as they hurried by and recognized what they were. He stared.
‘Those goblins are after that poor pony!’ he said to himself, galloping off after them, ‘I must help him or her!’
Cadence was getting very worried and very tired. She really wished she could rest, and wished even harder that Princess Celestia would come and rescue her. As she hurried on, she stared. She was on a short narrow path now, headed towards flat rock which was too smooth and too tall to climb unless you came round from the other side. She was trapped.
She desperately tried to climb up anyway. It was impossible. She tried to fly. It was hopeless, her wing was too damaged.
‘We’ve got her now!’ exclaimed the horned goblin. Cadence turned her head to see the three goblins advancing towards her, grinning broadly, red eyes glinting and saliva dribbling down their faces. Cadence flattened herself against the rock behind her.
‘Come on, Princess, make it easier on yourself,’ came the voice of the winged goblin.
‘It won’t hurt that much,’ added the earth goblin. The other two goblins snickered.
Cadence gave a defiant snort, she wasn’t going to let them take her that easily, but she knew she stood little chance, and no chance against that sleeping spell. She tried not to show how frightened she was. They were quite close now, and getting closer every moment; it was very difficult not to cry.
‘You two hold her down while I perform the spell,’ the horned goblin told the other two. Cadence prepared to resist.
They were just about to attack when the three of them were attacked from above. Before they knew what was happening, they had been leapt upon and kicked hard against the rock.
‘Leave her,’ Shining Armor shouted; he turned his head, ‘alone . . .’ She was so lovely, so amazingly beautiful. He couldn’t stop staring at her.
‘Look out!’ Cadence yelled.
Shining Armor’s attention quickly returned to the goblins. He had never felt so full of rage. How dare they even think about hurting her! How dare they! He would make them pay! He sent the goblins smashing into the rock.
‘Run!’ he told Cadence.
She hesitated for a moment. For some reason, she couldn’t put her hoof on it, she really wanted to help him more than she had ever wanted to help anypony else before, but seeing his frightened look at her hesitation, she galloped off. Seeing this, the goblins picked themselves up and headed after her.
‘Oh no you don’t!’ growled Shining Armor, before giving chase. He soon caught up with them and attacked ferociously. ‘Keep running!’ he shouted to Cadence.
It wouldn’t be long now until those goblins gave up, surely? While trying to struggle, one of the goblins kicked the colt in the face. He leapt back in surprise. And yelled out in pain as he hit his head hard against a tree behind him. He felt dizzy. His grip on the goblins became lessened. On hearing his yell, Cadence stopped and turned her head to see what had happened to him, unfortunately, the few moments this took was enough time for the goblins to attack her.
Shining Armor’s sight was becoming clouded by blackness and he realized that that he had knocked himself out. Cadence struggled as hard as she could, but she had so little strength left. Even so, the two goblins holding her down were having a hard time.
‘Cast the spell! Cast the spell!’ the earth goblin muttered through a snarl. Cadence fell asleep instantly. The three goblins hauled her onto their backs and hurried off in the direction of their base.
‘No . . .’ Shining Armor murmured, just before his sight failed him completely, ‘no . . .’
*
Shining Armor groaned and opened his eyes. He suddenly became overwhelmed with the memories of what had happened. How much time had passed? Could she still be saved? Oh, that poor beautiful filly! He felt awful. He had failed her. How could he? He had never felt so terrible, never felt so incredibly guilty.
He looked up at the sky. At least it looked like the longest he could have been out for was a few minutes, but what now? Those goblins had probably taken her somewhere that there were more goblins. He should easily be able to take on three, four, maybe even five, but more? And what if she was still asleep when he got there? He realized there was only one pony who could be a guarantee of success. He teleported.
*
‘Where could she be?’ a very worried Princess Celestia asked, pacing the room.
‘I don’t know,’ the servant replied, ‘all I know for certain is that her bed was unslept in.’
‘I wish I’d never left last night!’ Celestia exclaimed.
Suddenly, a colt appeared in the middle of the room. Celestia and the servant were rather surprised and shocked by the somewhat rude arrival.
‘I’m sorry, Princess Celestia,’ Shining Armor gasped desperately, ‘but this is an emergency. A pale pink filly has been ponynapped by goblins!’ He expected the princess to look shocked but instead, she looked rather ill.
‘Tell me,’ Celestia said faintly and fearfully, ‘was this filly an alicorn?’
‘Well . . . yes . . .’ Shining Armor replied, he hadn’t really realized until now.
‘Where was their most recent destination?’ Celestia asked quickly and anxiously.
‘Just beyond the small river,’ Shining Armor responded.
‘Right,’ said Celestia hurriedly, ‘I’ll meet you there in a moment.’ She teleported and he followed.
‘I tried to save her,’ Shining Armor told her, ‘but I got knocked out. They headed in that direction. Are you okay?’
‘I’ll be okay once my niece is safe,’ answered Celestia, ‘I’m just worried.’ Shining Armor was surprised. That filly was Celestia’s niece? Celestia knelt down on the ground. ‘Get on my back,’ she told him, ‘it’s most likely she’s been taken to some sort of base. We will be able to see it more quickly and get there faster by flight.’
Cadence opened her eyes. It seemed to be rather dark as the area was covered, the main light source coming from what one side of a field might look like with a small wooden gate, but that wasn’t the only reason. She soon discovered she was wearing blinkers. Probably to make it harder for me to try to escape, Cadence thought bitterly.
She soon discovered there was also a rope around her muzzle, and another around her neck which was tying her to a stake in the ground. She suddenly remembered the colt who had tried to save her. It was miserably unfair, such bad luck. He should have won so easily; so strong and so brave . . .
Her attention snapped back as the three goblins came through the gate and leered at her. Cadence pawed at the ground defiantly.
‘She’s a bit stubborn, isn’t she?’ said the winged goblin.
‘Nothing a little training can’t fix . . .’ answered the horned goblin with a small smile. He walked up to the glaring pony. ‘We will whip you if you don’t behave,’ he said smoothly. The other two hurried over and began studying her.
‘She should fit the wagon,’ the earth goblin told the other two. Cadence aimed a kick at him. The horned goblin slapped her across the face, bringing angry tears to her eyes. The horned goblin seemed satisfied for the moment.
‘Let’s go finish our packing,’ said the winged goblin. The other two nodded and the three of them hurried off leaving Cadence determined to escape. She wasn’t going to give them their satisfaction, and if they did take her to the mountains, she would have no chance of being rescued.
She looked around as best she could and her attention focused on the stake. She went over to it and began to dig relentlessly. She did not see the flashing, nor did she hear the shouts of goblins.
*
‘Where is she?’ Celestia growled.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ spluttered a goblin, terrified by the pony’s strength and size.
‘He wasn’t one of the ones involved,’ Shining Armor told her while fighting the very few goblins which were actually trying to attack.
‘I happen to know,’ Celestia told the goblin fiercely, ‘that three of your number stole my niece and brought her here!’ She sent magical fireworks into the sky which let off loud noises, causing a large amount of the goblins to yell and cower. ‘I also want to know who’s responsible!’
‘I’d tell you if I knew!’ whimpered the goblin before running away as fast as he could.
Cadence had managed to free herself but was having to pull the stake along behind her. She knew she must look a complete mess; her hair probably looked something like a haystack and her front hooves were covered in dirt. She now stared out as goblins ran about in a panicked frenzy. Amongst the chaos, she caught sight of something. It was that colt, the one that had come to rescue her, he had come back for her. She hurried over as best she could. The goblins he had been fighting had turned to flee a few seconds before she reached him. Cadence tapped him on the shoulder. Shining Armor turned; his eyes went from delight on seeing her and that she was okay, to becoming full of pity. Cadence felt rather embarrassed about her appearance.
‘Oh, you poor thing! Here, let me help you . . .’ He bit through most of the rope and removed it and the blinkers using magic. Cadence looked around anxiously. ‘It’s okay,’ Shining Armor said reassuringly, ‘you’re in safe hooves now.’
Cadence gave a small smile, not quite making eye contact. A loud noise made them both turn, Cadence was delighted.
‘I’m warning you,’ Celestia was telling four goblins that were slowly backing away, ‘if I find she’s been harmed in any way . . !’
‘Auntie Tia!’ Cadence called, hurrying over. Celestia turned her head to see her precious niece galloping towards her. She let out a sigh of relief and embraced her lovingly, before turning back to the goblins.
‘Who were the three of you who were responsible for this!’ Celestia demanded.
‘It was them!’ shouted Shining Armor, pointing at the three goblins who were trying to sneak away. Celestia summoned them over using magic while keeping a protective foreleg around Cadence. The goblins yelled out of fear and surprise.
‘What did you want with my niece!’ Celestia snarled.
‘Oh, she’s your niece, is she?’ said the winged goblin.
‘We didn’t know!’ added the earth goblin.
‘You had no right to take anypony, and that doesn’t answer the question!’ Celestia replied angrily.
‘Oh, nothing much really . . .’ the horned goblin responded innocently.
‘I’ll tell you, Auntie Tia,’ said Cadence with a sigh.
‘DON’T TELL HER!’ the three goblins yelled at once.
‘I can gather from your reaction,’ Celestia said coldly, ‘that it was something most unpleasant.’
‘It was all Menace’s idea!’ the earth and winged goblin exclaimed. The horned goblin glared at them.
‘I’m quite sure you two were only too happy to go through with whatever awful plan he had come up with.’ Celestia responded.
By this time, all the other goblins were angry, angry that those three had brought the pony there and caused all this trouble for them. Celestia addressed all the goblins,
‘This land is Equestria; you have no right to be occupying it. It seems like your reputation preceding you wasn’t enough for you to show me that I must get rid of you, I am therefore asking you to gather the things you have collected and get out of this land and never come back. If you do not leave, I will make you leave!’
For a few moments, there was only silence.
‘Come on!’ a goblin said suddenly, ‘let’s get out of here before she changes her mind!’ Suddenly, the goblins were rushing about at a high speed collecting the very small amount that belonged to them, and, the much larger amount that didn’t.
‘Are you going to let us go?’ asked the earth goblin timidly. Celestia turned to her niece.
‘What do you think, Cadence?’ Celestia asked, ‘should I let them go?’ The goblins were horrified. After a few moments, Cadence nodded. ‘Consider yourselves lucky,’ Celestia told them, ‘that Cadence has such a kind heart.’ They hurried off as fast as they could.
‘Oh, Auntie Tia, I’m so sorry!’ Cadence said a little tearfully.
‘Don’t you know you can’t trust goblins?’ Celestia responded.
‘I know I was an utter foal . . .’ Cadence told her miserably. Celestia embraced her again.
‘What matters is that you’re safe,’ Celestia told her.
‘Thank you so much for coming to rescue me.’ Cadence said.
‘Thank this colt for coming to tell me that you were in trouble!’ Celestia answered. Shining Armor felt a little embarrassed. As Cadence walked over to him, he could feel his face beginning to redden slightly. She stopped in front of him. She was looking at him with those big, beautiful eyes of hers.
‘It’s, uh, Cadence, right?’ he murmured.
‘Yes, well, my real name’s Mi Amore Cadenza, but most ponies call me Cadence,’ Cadence replied, ‘and your name is?’
‘Oh, it’s Arning Shmor, I mean, Shining Armor.’
‘Seems appropriate,’ Cadence said with a blushing smile, ‘I think I’ve heard that name somewhere before. Are you Twilight Sparkle’s brother? I foalsit her.’
Shining Armor had temporarily forgotten how to speak so he nodded vigorously. He now remembered that his parents had mentioned her and his sister had mentioned her several times, but no-pony had told him how gorgeous she was. Celestia gave a knowing smile before coming over.
‘Was it my imagination,’ Celestia asked, ‘or was your flank blank a few minutes ago?’ Shining Armor was surprised, and was even more surprised to find his cutie mark had finally appeared.
‘Well done,’ Cadence said, making him blush again, ‘by the way, why were you out so early?’
‘Well, I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to go out and do some training. I want to get into the Royal Guard you see . . .’
‘Want to be like your famous uncle then, do you?’ Celestia asked. Shining Armor nodded.
‘You just had to bring her here, didn’t you?’ a female goblin muttered to the three goblins who were angry and bitter but considered themselves lucky to be alive.
Quite quickly, the place was deserted. Celestia performed a spell to check, which confirmed there were no living creatures in the area apart from the three of them and one other thing. Celestia searched around and found, to her surprise, a lilac dragon egg with purple spots on.
‘Shouldn’t we check to see if they’ve left anything else behind?’ Shining Armor asked. Other things had been left behind. The goblins had left in such a panic and a rush.
‘Two words sum up goblins,’ Celestia said, ‘cunning and cowardly.’
They didn’t come across much until Cadence stumbled upon some sort of shed, which, when opened, was reveal to contain a wagon full of goblin treasure. They all stared.
‘Do you think they’ll be back for it?’ Cadence inquired.
‘They’d be too scared of meeting your aunt again!’ Shining Armor replied with a grin, but he felt sad. He had known it really since Celestia had told him Cadence was her niece, maybe even really when he realized she was an alicorn. What chance did he stand with a princess? And one that couldn’t be more perfect?
After finding nothing else of particular use, they put the dragon egg in the wagon along with the treasure, and Shining Armor put himself into the harness of the wagon and pulled it along as the three of them walked on.
‘Those spells I performed could never have hurt the goblins,’ Celestia explained as they walked along, ‘they are normally used for aerial display; I was using them to give those creatures a good scare.’
‘Well that plan certainly worked,’ Cadence replied quietly with a small smile.
‘What did they want with you, Cadence?’ Celestia asked.
‘Well,’ Cadence began rather shakily, ‘they were primarily after my horn, but they were also planning to enslave me, skin me; they seemed to think my mane, tail, wings and even my teeth may have some value. They were going to eat whatever was left of me!’ She couldn’t hold back tears any longer. Celestia wiped her eyes and stroked her mane with a hoof.
‘I’m sorry I wasn’t much use earlier,’ Shining Armor mumbled while looking at the ground.
‘That wasn’t your fault though,’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘that was tremendous bad luck!’ There was silence for a moment. ‘I still haven’t thanked you for what you did, have I?’
‘You don’t need to!’ Shining Armor replied quickly, almost stumbling over his words.
‘Perhaps you should take some of this treasure for yourself.’ Celestia suggested.
‘I couldn’t take a reward for such a thing!’ Shining Armor exclaimed, ‘It wouldn’t be right! And besides, knowing that Cadence is safe is reward enough.’
‘At least come and join us for breakfast.’ Celestia said.
‘Well, I suppose I can’t refuse that,’ Shining Armor responded with a smile, ‘but I can’t stay too long. I promised my sister, I’d teach her how to fly a kite today.’
*
Shining Armor’s cutie mark had got him a lot more attention than he had been expecting. Any other day he would have probably enjoyed this, but now it didn’t seem to matter, nor did the way his ex-fillyfriend had dumped him, he had other things on his mind now.
Very few ponies suspected any connection between Shining Armor’s cutie mark and the fact that the goblin threat had vanished. It seemed best to keep what had happened quiet to some extent so that Cadence wouldn’t be questioned about it.
Shining Armor had been expecting the reaction of his sister and his parents, but they were left to presume that his cutie mark was the result of his early morning training. His parents, however, were more concerned about Shining Armor’s sudden state of mind change. He seemed so much happier all of a sudden, almost elated at times, and he kept daydreaming. It was only later in the day, when Night Light had overheard Shining Armor telling Twilight Sparkle that he had met her foalsitter, that the explanation became clear. Night Light turned to his wife.
‘Velvet, I’ve figured out what’s up with Shining Armor,’ he told her.
‘What is it, Night Light?’ Twilight Velvet asked.
‘You know that princess that foalsits Twilight?’ he said, ‘Shining Armor’s fallen head over hooves in love with her.’
Cadence woke up with a smile on her face. She had been having such a good dream. It concerned a certain colt who had only recently acquired his cutie mark. She was tempted to go back to sleep again, but decided it was time she got up.
She quickly did her hair before any of the servants had the chance to come in and insist on doing it for her. She hurried off to meet her aunt, but on arrival, she discovered there was already somepony else there. There was a colt standing next to Celestia, a unicorn, who was taller than Cadence, but looked younger.
‘Good morning, Cadence,’ said Princess Celestia, ‘did you sleep well?’
‘So this is Mi Amore Cadenza, is it?’ the colt asked.
‘Cadence, this is Blueblood,’ Celestia told her, ‘he’s something like a great, great nephew of mine. Blueblood, this is Cadence, she’s my half-sister’s daughter.’
‘Luna’s foal then?’ Blueblood asked. Celestia tried not to show her annoyance at him bringing Luna up.
‘No, Luna was, is, my sister, not my half-sister. Cadence’s mother perished recently.’ Celestia replied, trying not to think about that journey and what she had found when she arrived there. Cadence was puzzled. Celestia hadn’t mentioned any ‘Luna’ to her.
‘Sorry about that,’ came Blueblood’s formal tone.
‘He likes to make out he’s a prince,’ Celestia whispered to Cadence, ‘but he’s actually a duke.’ Blueblood pretended not to hear.
‘What’s he doing here anyway?’ Cadence whispered back.
‘Oh, I pop in occasionally and decided to stay for a while to watch the ceremony.’ Blueblood told her.
‘Ceremony?’ Cadence asked, ‘what ceremony?’
‘Oh, didn’t I tell you?’ Celestia said, ‘Shining Armor got into the Royal Guard.’
‘He did!’ Cadence replied, her eyes sparkling with pleasure.
‘His famous uncle was older than he is when he got in,’ Celestia told her, ‘in fact he may be the youngest ever to join.’
‘When’s the ceremony?’ Cadence asked.
‘This afternoon, at four o’clock,’ Celestia replied with a smile, ‘you’re coming then?’
‘Of course!’ Cadence said brightly.
*
‘Mi Amore Cadenza,’ said Blueblood, ‘there is some mud up ahead,’
‘You mentioned that a few seconds ago,’ Cadence sighed.
She knew he was younger than her but he did seem to be incredibly immature in some ways and Cadence had never felt so annoyed about being called by her full name. Celestia had given Cadence the job of taking Blueblood around for a bit with an apologetic smile and now Cadence could see why. When they actually came near the mud, Blueblood wouldn’t go within a few yards of it.
‘How can you go so near it!’ said Blueblood squeamishly.
‘It’s just a bit of dirt,’ Cadence sighed, ‘it won’t kill you.’
‘I have my doubts about that!’
‘The only way you could die from it,’ came Cadence’s irritated tone, ‘is from dying of fright for irrational reasons.’
Blueblood gave a mumble.
‘If you don’t deal with this problem of yours,’ Cadence continued kindly, ‘no-pony’s going to believe you’re royalty at all, never mind the prince you want everypony to think you are.’
‘Hi Cadence,’ came the voice of Cadence’s friend, Fleur de Lis, who was a bit older than her and had been the one who had looked after her when she had first arrived.
‘Hi, Lis!’ replied Cadence, ‘oh, this is Blueblood, he’s something like a distant cousin of mine.’
‘Oh, hello,’ said Fleur de Lis, ‘nice to meet you.’
‘Likewise,’ Blueblood replied.
‘He only has one problem,’ Cadence continued, ‘he’s afraid of dirt.’
Fleur de Lis snorted and Blueblood scowled. Just then, a filly shoved past Cadence and hurried off. Cadence looked down at the ground sadly. Fleur de Lis scowled after the filly.
‘You can’t let Thora treat you like that, Cadence,’ Fleur de Lis told her.
‘It was probably just an accident, Lis,’ said Cadence sadly. Fleur de Lis shook her head firmly.
‘This is at least the sixth time she’s done that to you, Cadence,’ Fleur de Lis said seriously, ‘if you let her get away with it, it’ll get worse.’
‘She probably didn’t mean it . . .’ Cadence murmured.
‘Part of the reason she can do it is because you’re so nice. Can’t you see,’ Fleur de Lis told her, putting a hoof on her shoulder, ‘she’s bullying you, Cadence! Maybe I should tell Princess Celestia about this . . .’
‘Oh, don’t, Lis!’ exclaimed Cadence, ‘I don’t want any trouble!’
‘Okay,’ responded Fleur de Lis, ‘but if it gets much worse or doesn’t stop, I will tell her.’
Cadence gave a small smile.
‘Anyway,’ continued Fleur de Lis, ‘I came over to remind you about our picnic,’
‘Do you think I’d forget that!’ asked Cadence with a laugh. Fleur de Lis smiled, happy that Cadence had cheered up.
Even though Cadence had cheered up, once Fleur de Lis had gone and she was continuing to walk around with Blueblood, she couldn’t help but think about Thora. She was the only pony who didn’t like her, the one foalsitter who wouldn’t accept her as she had told Celestia, and when she had tried just being polite as Celestia had suggested, things had started to get worse. She would glare too, whenever she saw that Cadence was happy, especially if she was with her friend, Shining Armor.
Speaking of Shining Armor, there he was over there. Suddenly, she felt a surge of panic. Blueblood might be younger than her and a distant cousin but it didn’t necessarily look like that. Shining Armor had seen them, he felt sad, of course, what had he really expected? He began to walk off feeling rather miserable.
‘Shining Armor!’ Cadence called. Shining Armor hurried over. ‘This is my distant cousin, Blueblood,’ she said quickly, ‘Blueblood, this is Shining Armor.’
Shining Armor seemed to be a lot happier all of a sudden.
‘I heard you got into the Royal Guard,’ said Cadence shyly. Shining Armor’s face went a bit pink.
‘Uh, well, yeah,’ he answered, looking at the ground, ‘uh, can I show you something?’ he asked, looking up slightly.
‘Of course,’ Cadence replied with a small smile, unaware that she was batting her eyelashes. He concentrated hard and produced a small pink shield.
‘It’s a repelling shield,’ he explained, ‘it took me a little time to work out what my cutie mark actually meant but it seems to be defense magic.’
‘It’s very good,’ Cadence told him, gazing into his eyes for a few moments, ‘um, so what do the three stars represent?’ she asked.
‘I don’t actually know,’ Shining Armor admitted.
‘I’ve heard,’ said Blueblood, ‘if you have a number of something on your cutie mark, it represents a certain number of ponies that you care the most about.’
Shining Armor’s face turned crimson. He knew Blueblood was right. It explained the two things he had been wondering, firstly, why his cutie mark appeared when he wasn’t performing his special talent which was nearly always what happened, and why it hadn’t appeared before. He had already, in a sense, acquired his special talent, but not the third star which made up his cutie mark. She hadn’t been living in Canterlot until recently.
‘Are you alright, Shining Armor?’ Cadence asked, ‘you look a little hot.’
*
Cadence would never have told anypony, but it was a big relief to get rid of Blueblood for a bit. He would panic if there was even the hint that dirt had been there within the last year but at the same time, act as if he were somehow above everypony else. As she had pointed out to him, how could he act like he was above everypony else when he was acting like a foal?
Fleur de Lis was already at the picnic spot when Cadence arrived.
‘Excited about the ceremony are you?’ Fleur de Lis asked with a smile.
‘Oh, yes! And he does so deserve it! He is so strong and brave and . . .’ Cadence stopped, feeling embarrassed and a little nervous. But Fleur de Lis hadn’t picked up on her feelings but had picked up on what she had said.
‘How do you know he’s ‘so strong and brave’, Cadence?’ Fleur de Lis asked. Cadence felt a little guilty. She normally told Fleur de Lis everything, the only exception having been, apart from this, her liking for Shining Armor.
‘Lis, there’s something I haven’t told you,’ Cadence began, ‘Shining Armor saved me from goblins.’
Fleur de Lis was very surprised.
‘Well, he didn’t do it all by himself, he would’ve done if he hadn’t been very unlucky and got knocked out but then he went and told Auntie Tia what had happened and they came after me,’ said Cadence rapidly, barely taking breath. ‘I greatly admire him for what he did,’ Cadence admitted, feeling guilty as she wasn’t telling the whole truth but she felt too embarrassed to admit how she really felt.
‘Well,’ said Fleur de Lis, ‘I can see why he got into the Royal Guard. He must be pretty tough to fight goblins.’ Cadence nodded.
‘Anyway, Lis, you looked like you wanted to tell me something as soon as I arrived,’ Cadence said.
‘Oh, yes!’ Fleur de Lis responded before lowering her voice, ‘I think Steamer might like me!’
‘Really?’ inquired Cadence, ‘That’s great, Lis!’
*
The two ponies had finished their picnic and were now enjoying the nice weather.
‘That cloud looks like a wedding cake!’ said Cadence.
‘Those ones look like you and Shining Armor dancing!’ replied Fleur de Lis.
‘No they don’t!’ Cadence retorted.
‘They so do, Cadence, and you’re blushing!’
‘No I’m not!’ responded Cadence, trying to cover up her reddening face.
‘If you say you saw a wedding cake maybe you and Shining Armor are getting married!’ exclaimed Fleur de Lis.
‘We’re not!’
‘You so are!’
‘We are not getting married!’
‘Give it a few years, Cadence!’
Cadence somehow managed to smile and scowl at the same time. Fleur de Lis got up and looked out at the ripples and light on the pond.
‘Come and look at the pond, Cadence, it’s beautiful!’ called Fleur de Lis. Cadence got up and went over to her friend.
‘Wow, you’re right, it is beautiful!’ Cadence said with a happy sigh. ‘Oh, Lis, look at those pretty flowers! They’re lovely. I simply must pick them!’
Cadence quickly set to work, using her magic to pick them and untied her hair to use the ribbon to keep the flowers together. She was almost done when somepony else’s magic snatched the flowers from her. It was Thora. Fleur de Lis put a foreleg around her friend. She was furious and glared at Thora; she knew that Thora only wanted those flowers because Cadence had wanted them. A single tear ran down Cadence’s face.
Fleur de Lis was about to get up and confront Thora when Thora’s own magical hold on the flowers was replaced by a darker pink magic. Thora’s smug expression changed to anger and surprise. Fleur de Lis and Cadence looked up to see Shining Armor trotting towards them, carrying the bunch of flowers.
‘You deserve these, Cadence,’ Shining Armor told her, placing the flowers lightly between her hooves. Cadence’s face glowed. ‘Excuse me while I deal with Thora,’ Shining Armor continued before trotting over to, and glaring at, Thora with a furious expression on his face. Thora glared back.
‘You’re an interfering parasprite, aren’t you, Shining Armor!’ Thora snarled, ‘this is the very reason I dumped you in the first place!’
‘And you are nothing but a nasty bully, who will leave Cadence alone or deal with me!’ Shining Armor growled back, ‘I should have been the one dumping you; I don’t know what I ever saw in you! If you do not leave Cadence alone the consequences will be dire!’ Thora continued to glare. Fleur de Lis came over.
‘In case you haven’t noticed, Thora,’ Fleur de Lis snapped, ‘you’re the only pony in Canterlot who doesn’t like Cadence, never mind dislike her! I am quite happy to tell everypony that you’ve been bullying Cadence and I’m sure Princess Celestia would love to hear how you’ve been picking on her beloved niece!’
If the combined effect of Shining Armor and Fleur de Lis having a good go at her hadn’t been enough, Fleur de Lis’s comment about Celestia had. Thora muttered something before skulking off somewhere to be all self-pitying.
‘Thanks, you two,’ said Cadence quietly, as she was a little shaken up by the confrontation she had just witnessed.
‘You’re very welcome, Cadie,’ replied Fleur de Lis.
‘Any time,’ Shining Armor responded, ‘and make sure you tell me if she ever starts picking on you again!’
‘You’re very protective of her, aren’t you?’ Fleur de Lis commented. Shining Armor’s face went red again and he quickly changed the subject.
‘Uh, my parents wanted me to ask you if you could foalsit Twilie tomorrow,’ Shining Armor said hurriedly.
‘I think I can fit that in,’ Cadence replied, ‘what’s she doing now anyway?’
‘Studying again,’ Shining Armor told her, ‘that’s what she’s always doing when one of us isn’t around to stop her!’ Cadence gave a laugh. ‘Where’s your cousin anyway?’ Shining Armor asked.
‘He said he’d meet me here,’ Cadence told him, ‘which reminds me, he’s scared of dirt, right? Well, I’ve heard one way you can overcome fears is by facing them.’
‘So you’re planning to get Blueblood dirty?’ Fleur de Lis asked.
‘That’s the idea,’ Cadence told them, ‘I don’t know how he’s going to react though!’
*
Blueblood had made the most enormous amount of fuss when his hoof got covered in mud. Celestia wanted an explanation for her niece’s actions once she had claimed it was her idea.
‘I’m not very pleased with you, Cadence,’ Celestia said sternly, ‘look at all the commotion you caused, and just before Shining Armor’s ceremony!’ Cadence looked at the ground, she hadn’t thought of that.
‘It’s not being cancelled is it?’ came Cadence’s anxious tone.
‘No, it’s not,’ Celestia replied stiffly, ‘but why did you do it in the first place?’
‘I, well,’ Cadence began timidly, ‘I figured, well, I heard one of the ways to overcome fears is to face them, and Blueblood’s so scared of dirt, I figured if we could get him covered in it . . .’ Cadence was surprised to find that Celestia had started laughing.
‘Oh, that makes much more sense,’ Celestia said, still laughing, ‘I thought he’d just annoyed you too much! Trust you to cause chaos while trying to help a pony! But he wasn’t covered in dirt . . .’
‘It didn’t go quite as planned,’ Cadence admitted, almost smiling, ‘turns out he tends to freeze when he’s anywhere near dirt, so the push we gave him only managed to get one of his hooves dirty.’ Blueblood came into the room with a scowl on his face.
‘I don’t know what’s so funny,’ he said grumpily, ‘I must have washing this hoof seven times and it still doesn’t feel clean again.’ He left the room in a very bad mood.
‘Maybe one day he’ll learn to deal with his issues on his own,’ said Celestia.
‘Auntie Tia?’ asked Cadence, ‘who’s Luna?’
‘Luna’s my sister,’ Celestia said weakly.
‘Why did you never mention her?’ Cadence asked, ‘and why have I never seen her?’
‘Well, it’s complicated,’ Celestia replied.
‘Could you tell me about her?’ Cadence inquired, ‘please?’
‘Well,’ said Celestia with a sigh, ‘I guess there’s time before the ceremony.’
Cadence had got up that day to find the rooms and corridors finely decorated with golden, pink and red hearts. She couldn’t help but feel a little sad as she admired the decorations. She entered the room which she and Princess Celestia had planned to meet and have breakfast in, carrying a card in her mouth. Celestia was already at the table in front of a rather large pile of Hearts & Hooves Day gifts. Cadence trotted up to her aunt and gave her the card.
‘Happy Hearts & Hooves Day, Auntie Tia!’
‘Thank you, Cadence,’ Celestia replied, ‘how very thoughtful of you.’ Cadence sat down at the table and some servants quickly arrived to bring in breakfast.
‘You have lots of admirers, Auntie Tia,’ Cadence commented as one of the servants went to open a window.
‘I’m not the only one,’ Celestia said, pushing a large package towards a surprised, but pleased, Cadence.
She quickly unwrapped the package and found it contained: a bunch of pink, red and white roses, some chocolates in a heart shaped box, each bearing a letter ‘C’, a little teddy bear holding a small plush heart, a simple necklace with her cutie mark on it, and a card, which was evidently hoof made. Cadence was delighted and felt very complimented. Whoever had been responsible had evidently gone to a large amount of effort and trouble. There was a note.
Dear Cadence,
Would you do me the honor of meeting up with me in Ponyville at 1:15 today? If your answer is yes, tie one of your hair ribbons around one of the flag poles in the courtyard by 10:45. Love from your shy admirer.
It was evident from her expression and her face, which had become pinker, that Cadence was thrilled; however, she was also rather concerned. She showed the note to her aunt who gave a small smile. Cadence was a little surprised.
‘Aren’t you concerned?’ Cadence asked, ‘I mean, a blind date . . .’ Celestia gave a small giggle. ‘Are you keeping something from me, Auntie Tia?’
‘I know who it was,’ Celestia began with a smile, ‘I know who your secret admirer is. I caught him in the act of putting the parcel on the table.’
‘Are you going to tell me who it is?’ Cadence inquired.
‘That would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?’ Celestia replied playfully.
‘At least tell me if I’ll like him,’ Cadence said.
‘I should think so,’ responded Celestia, avoiding giving anything away. The conversation was interrupted by the shouts of the captain of the guard below which were coming in through the open window.
‘You call that running? I’ve seen foals run faster than that!’ the captain was yelling, ‘How come Shining Armor can do this course perfectly well but the rest of you are struggling? What are you, a bunch of fillies!’
Cadence went over to the window. She put her head on her hooves and watched Shining Armor doing his early morning training with a dreamy expression on her face.
Meanwhile, a few minutes later down below, Shining Armor, wearing armor that was a bit too big for him, was being subjected to the usual teasing from the other guards about his evident liking for Cadence. He was just hoping they didn’t ask him any awkward questions about his plans for the day. What came next, however, was almost as bad.
‘Well done, Shining Armor,’ said the captain, ‘unlike this bunch of lay-abouts, you’d be fit to fight something in battle, like . . .’
‘Goblins?’ suggested one of the guards with a grin, ‘Shining Armor’s had experience with those!’
Shining Armor’s face burned. Oh, no! Not this! It had been some time since the incident occurred and once the other guards had started teasing him, it was the one thing he had really hoped they wouldn’t find out about. He didn’t mind them knowing about him fighting those goblins, but if they knew about that, they probably knew about rescuing Cadence too, which would result in making the teasing worse.
‘Yeah,’ said another guard, ‘off rescuing fillies in fear, or to be more precise, a princess in peril!’
‘How did you find out?’ spluttered Shining Armor.
‘Princess Celestia let a couple of details slip, circumstance and seeing you train did the rest,’ the guard replied.
‘Alright, that’s enough of that,’ the captain snapped, although there was evidence in his expression that he was impressed, ‘haven’t you embarrassed him enough!’
‘Oh, Shining Armor,’ said the first guard that had spoken, ‘have you looked up recently?’
‘Why?’ came the tired tone of Shining Armor. Some of the other guards were grinning now.
‘Somepony’s watching you from a window!’ he replied.
Shining Armor looked up. Once Cadence realized Shining Armor had noticed her, she quickly disappeared from sight. She would barely admit it to herself, but she couldn’t help hoping that it had been Shining Armor who had left her the parcel. The guards were laughing and nudging each other. Shining Armor gave a sigh but still felt a little hopeful. Had she really been watching him?
*
Shining Armor was glad when training was over. He had even managed over breakfast to ask a couple of pegasus ponies in the Royal Guard if they would be available if he needed transportation. He was very tired out from training and decided to recover while having a shower. He would have dried his mane and tail but the timing was too close.
By 10:35, he was safely hidden in a bush near the flag poles. He waited nervously. He now wished he hadn’t eaten so much breakfast, as his nerves were giving him indigestion. Maybe she wasn’t coming. Maybe she already had a coltfriend but he just didn’t know about him. But Princess Celestia had seemed to be okay with it, remembering that embarrassing scene where he had just put the parcel on the table and had turned round to find himself face to face with her, but then, she hadn’t known about the note.
What if he had done this all wrong? Maybe he had been too extravagant, what if he had intimidated her or made her feel awkward instead? What had he been thinking! He had practically asked her on a blind date! And what about Princess Celestia, had she told her? And if she had, how did Cadence react? What if he had messed up his only chance of Cadence ever liking him? He put his head in his hooves.
He suddenly heard hooves approaching. He looked up. It was Cadence. He quickly noticed that she was wearing an extra hair ribbon. Cadence had been unsure as it seemed to be too much like a blind date, but she had also thought the approach was rather sweet, and, as her aunt was okay with it . . .
Cadence looked around before detaching her extra hair ribbon by magic and tying it around one of the flag poles. She looked around again before walking off.
Shining Armor was ecstatic. That was a yes! That was most definitely a yes! He was going on a date with Cadence! He was going on a date with the most beautiful, most wonderful, most perfect princess on Hearts & Hooves Day! After making certain that Cadence was gone, Shining Armor bounced out of the hedge and down the path.
‘He’s in a good mood, isn’t he?’ commented a mare who Shining Armor barely noticed was there.
‘Hey, Shining Armor!’ called a colt.
‘What’s got you in such a good mood?’ said another.
Shining Armor stopped, remembering that Cadence didn’t actually know who had sent her the parcel, and, the reason he had wanted to meet her in Ponyville: in case the whole thing turned into a complete disaster. He walked over to the two colts.
‘It’s just such a nice day for Hearts & Hooves Day, don’t you think?’ Shining Armor improvised.
‘It is if you’ve got dates like we do,’ said the first colt.
‘The only filly you’ve ever dated is a malcontent,’ added the second.
‘I’ve got a date . . .’ Shining Armor replied nervously.
‘Yeah, right!’ responded the first colt, ‘what’s her name then?’
‘I don’t want to tell you,’ Shining Armor told them stiffly.
‘That’s because she’s miss no-pony!’ sneered the second.
Shining Armor ignored this and trotted off. He didn’t care what they thought anyway, but, at the same time, he wouldn’t mind seeing the looks on their faces if his date were a success.
*
‘You’re in a very good mood, Cadence,’ Fleur de Lis commented as she entered Cadence’s room which Cadence was almost dancing around.
‘Yep,’ Cadence replied, flinging herself onto the bed with a lovely smile on her face.
‘I’m guessing you’ve got a date then,’ Fleur de Lis said, ‘spill the sparkles then, who is this mystery colt?’
‘I don’t know,’ Cadence replied, still smiling.
‘You don’t know?’ came Fleur de Lis’s concerned tone, ‘are you sure going is such a good idea?’ Cadence jumped off the bed and went over to the cabinet.
‘Come and see the things he gave me, Lis!’ called Cadence. Fleur de Lis trotted over and stared. ‘They came with this note,’ Cadence continued, hoofing it over. ‘And besides Auntie Tia knows who he is!’
Fleur de Lis seemed more relaxed now. If Princess Celestia knew who the colt was and was okay with it, it was a different matter. Cadence put the necklace on using magic and beamed.
‘What do you think, Lis?’ Cadence inquired.
‘That colt evidently has good taste,’ Fleur de Lis replied, ‘it looks lovely on you, and the chain colors go with your magic and eyes. Would you like me to apply any makeup?’
‘No thanks, Lis. I don’t usually wear it and this colt seems to like me as I am.’ Cadence responded.
‘You make a good point, besides, you don’t really need it, you look practically perfect as you are,’ said Fleur de Lis.
‘Oh, Lis, stop it, you’re embarrassing me!’ Cadence replied. Fleur de Lis gave a small laugh.
*
Shining Armor arrived in Ponyville at five to one so he decided to make a very quick visit to his friend, Big Macintosh. When he arrived, his friend looked a bit miserable. Shining Armor hurried over.
‘Are you okay, Big Mac?’ Shining Armor asked.
‘Nope,’ Big Macintosh said with a sigh.
‘What’s wrong? Did you get rejected by a filly?’
‘Nope, it’s my little sister,’ Big Macintosh explained, ‘she’s gone to live in Manehattan with our aunt and uncle.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ said Shining Armor, who had now only just remembered about his own sister’s entrance exam. He felt guilty; he hadn’t had the chance to wish her good luck.
‘Um, did you see the rainbow earlier today? And what brings you to Ponyville anyway?’ Big Macintosh inquired.
‘No, I didn’t, but then, I have been rather occupied today. I asked a filly to meet me in a café here.’
‘Eyep, sounds like you’ve got your day planned. I’m just glad I haven’t, too much work to do,’ replied Big Macintosh.
‘I could bring this filly around later and introduce you, if you like.’ Shining Armor offered.
‘Yep,’ responded Big Macintosh.
*
It was just before five past one when Cadence entered the café (the name and address of it having been on the back of the note). The atmosphere seemed to be quite pleasant and the building seemed to be quite private. She sat down at a table and looked around at the other customers who all appeared to be locals on dates.
‘Would you like a menu yet?’ asked a smiling yellow colt with a donut for a cutie mark who evidently worked there.
‘Not yet, thank you,’ Cadence replied, ‘I’m waiting for somepony,’
‘Ah, whoever he is, that colt is very lucky to get a filly like you,’ said the yellow unicorn. Cadence felt very complimented.
‘That’s very nice of you, thank you,’ Cadence told him while he was trying to tidy up his untidy brown mane which his sister was always complaining about (not that hers was much neater).
‘I’m just talking truth!’ the colt replied before walking over to take another customer’s tray.
After a couple of minutes, Cadence thought she would ask that colt for some tap water. She got up to see where he could be, taking her necklace off and leaving it on the table both to show that she was sitting there and to tell her mystery colt that she had arrived. As she looked around, she noticed some steps leading to what looked like a basement. Her curiosity got the better of her and she headed down the steps.
It was rather dark down there with the only light being a few feeble gas lamps dotted along the corridor. The basement was a lot bigger than she had expected, and, for some reason, she felt a little frightened. She thought she heard somepony behind her. She turned rapidly but there was no-pony there. She called out. No response. Maybe it had just been her imagination.
She was just about to go back when she noticed a pair of doors which led into a room. Perhaps she should look in there. As soon as she had entered the room, the door slammed shut behind her, plunging Cadence into darkness.
A moment later, the only thing she could see was a pair of large, angry, orange eyes.
‘What are you doing here! Who gave you the right to come down here!’ came the angry and bitter tone of a mare, whose voice was reminiscent of nails on a chalk board.
‘T-T-There w-was no s-sign to say I s-s-shouldn’t come d-down h-here!’ Cadence stuttered.
‘Ha! Like a care about that you little runt!’ the mare spat.
‘I’m – I’m not a runt,’ Cadence said slowly and quietly, ‘I’m above average for my age.’ Cadence quickly realized saying this had been a mistake. The mare gnashed her teeth in agitation.
‘I don’t care about your fitting in facts! Keep your measly mouth shut!’
‘I’m sorry,’ Cadence breathed, her heart beating loudly in her chest.
‘If you’re so sorry, you’ll shut up and stay still while I look at you!’ the mare snarled.
Cadence did as she was told; standing still nervously, sweat dripping down her face as she listened to the sound of hooves encircling her. Cadence wondered how the mare could possibly see that well when there was no light.
‘Oh, oh! An alicorn are we!’ The mare sounded even more bitter and resentful now, and hints of envy were starting to emerge in her tone. ‘I suppose you think you’re pretty special!’
‘Not more than any other alicorn,’ the frightened princess replied.
‘Oh, and modest too!’ came the mare’s savage tone, ‘as well as pretty and a princess and perfect in almost every way! It’s ponies like you who make me sick!’
‘I didn’t choose to be any of the things you claim I am!’ stammered Cadence, ‘I’m sorry if I bothered you! It won’t happen again!’
‘You’ve got one thing right!’ sneered the mare. Cadence ran blindly for the doors. On reaching them, she found she couldn’t open them. ‘You’re not going anywhere,’ the mare said smugly, ‘you’re going to stay here and be punished!’ Cadence was terrified.
‘Please,’ Cadence began, feeling as if all the warmth had been drained from her body, ‘please let me go!’ The mare ignored her.
‘Now, let’s see, what do I do with you . . ?’
‘Please let me out,’ Cadence pleaded, ‘I’m really sorry if I bothered you!’
‘No, that wouldn’t work,’ the mare was saying to herself, ‘besides, I’ve tried something similar before . . .’
‘You won’t gain anything from keeping me here!’ continued Cadence, getting rather desperate, ‘I really am so truly sorry, I promise! You’ll never have to see me ever again! Just please let me go!’
‘Oh, I’ve got it!’ said the mare, sounding a lot happier now, ‘I’ll turn you into a bunny rabbit and make you into soup, and then, I’ll serve it to your friends and family!’
She was quite delighted with her scheme. Cadence was alarmed. She couldn’t be serious?
‘That will serve as punishment enough . . .’ the mare continued, ‘now, let’s see, how does that spell work again?’
Cadence’s eyes had got somewhat used to the dark and she could now vaguely see the outline of the tall unicorn who was holding her captive: her mane was shoulder length, her teeth were bright white and her tail was quite short, but thick. It was also noticeable that there was a small amount of one of her ears missing, and that her nose was unusually pointed for a pony.
‘Oh, I remember now!’ said the mare, before turning to Cadence and putting her very sharp horn very close to the princess’s throat. ‘Even think about moving, and I’ll plunge my horn into that pretty neck of yours!’ the mare told her in a soft but sinister tone. Cadence let out an involuntary whimper.
Within a few moments, pink magic had erupted from the mare’s horn, and Cadence could feel herself shrinking and changing shape. She felt dizzy, and all she could hear was the mare laughing cruelly at her.
Cadence was barely aware that her transformation was complete when she found herself being picked up by magic and dropped into a basket. The mare lit a couple of lamps in the room by magic.
After Cadence had got used to the light, she was able to see her pale pink paws and feet. She was slightly paler color than she had been as a pony; her eyes were a slightly paler color too. Cadence looked out through the gaps in the basket weaving and watched the dappled dark gray pony, with yellow dappling, as she gathered ingredients from various cupboards around the room. Every moment it became more blatant that the mare, who had an orange mane and tail and freckles on her face, was completely serious about turning Cadence into soup.
A big cooking pot had been moved to the center of the room and some water was being heated up in it. Cadence continued to watch as the mare summoned a large sharp knife and placed it on a surface. Cadence knew that that knife was meant for her. She simply must find a way to escape! Okay, she thought, I managed to escape from those goblins with help, I can get out of this.
A voice suddenly came from the other side of the pair of doors.
‘Goody Four-Shoes!’ came the voice of a colt, ‘I know you’re in there! Open up!’
The mare gave an irritated sigh, summoned the keys from a drawer, and unlocked the door. Cadence was very surprised when she saw the colt she had met earlier in the café walk into the room. He stopped in front of the mare.
‘Oh, Goody, you’ve got that look on your face again,’ said the colt in a worried and concerned tone, ‘what evil acts are you up to this time?’
‘Just, just making soup . . .’ Goody Four-Shoes replied innocently, with a small smile.
‘Yeah, right!’ said the colt, ‘what’s the catch, Goody? Is it poisoned?’
‘I’ve told you not to call me that!’ Goody Four-Shoes retorted, ‘and quite frankly, little brother, it’s none of your business. You’d better pipe down, Joe, I’m the only family you have left, without me, you’ve got no-pony.’
Cadence could tell that Joe would much rather have had no-pony, but was too scared of his sister to say any more. Cadence wished there was something she could do to make him feel better. It must be simply horrible having a sister like that. Joe gave a sigh.
‘All I’ve ever wanted to do is set up my own donut shop,’ Joe said sadly, looking at his cutie mark. Goody Four-Shoes gave a snort, while glaring at her own, a pink ballet shoe.
Cadence suddenly realized that she had done everything wrong. This pony was an extreme malcontent; she hated Cadence for being the exact opposite of what she thought she was. Cadence knew that if she had acted as if she was hard done by, Goody Four-Shoes would probably have let her go, but that would have meant lying, and Cadence had doubts she would have been able to do that, even if she had known. Still, despite the mare’s intentions, Cadence couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for her.
Cadence thought hard. She was no longer a pony, which meant that she couldn’t fly or use magic. The most obvious time to try and escape was when Goody Four-Shoes took her out of the basket but that was too risky and was cutting the timing too fine. Was there a chance that Joe might help her if he recognized her? No, she could not rely on that, or expect him to, he would be risking his sister’s wrath, and would probably be too scared to risk it.
She tried pushing the lid, but she either wasn’t strong enough or something else had been put on top of it. She suddenly remembered the colt she was supposed to meet and felt awful. He would think she had stood him up!
She forced herself to continue to think: she was a rabbit; did that give her any advantages? She was small so if she could get out, she would be harder to spot and could probably fit through small holes. Her large ears had improved her hearing but that wasn’t particularly useful. Her sight was the same and her sense of smell might have been a little better. She might not have hooves but she still could walk on all fours. She tried walking around the basket which quickly turned into a natural hopping movement.
‘What’s in the basket?’ Joe asked his sister suspiciously, his attention having been drawn to it by Cadence’s movement.
‘It’s just a bunny rabbit, she’s just being a little noisy,’ Goody Four-Shoes replied in a casual tone.
Joe went over to see for himself. He peered through the gaps in the basket work. His green eyes widened. Cadence couldn’t really tell if he had recognized her or not.
‘That’s no rabbit, Goody,’ Joe said in a worried and shocked tone, ‘no rabbit has a natural fur color of pale pink and has pale purple eyes.’
Goody Four-Shoes smiled broadly.
‘Okay, Goody,’ Joe said rather breathlessly, ‘you’ve made your point. Thinking up such a thing and getting this far with it proves you’re no goody four-shoes. You don’t have to go through with it!’
‘I’m going through with it,’ Goody Four-Shoes said simply, chopping up some ingredients by magic.
‘Don’t do it, Goody,’ Joe pleaded, ‘what if you got found out?’
‘I’d be quite happy if I was!’ she retorted, relocking the doors by magic at the same time.
‘Think of Mum and Dad,’ Joe begged, ‘what would they think if they were still alive?’
‘Ha! It was Mum who forced me to go to those disgusting ballet lessons in the first place!’ growled Goody Four-Shoes, ‘She only has herself to blame!’
Cadence had taken the opportunity to think harder than ever. She had noticed there was a small hole at the bottom of one of the doors. It was just big enough for her to squeeze through. If only she could find a way to get out of the basket. There was a loose corner in it, but her paws couldn’t . . . Of course! She had forgotten about her large rabbit teeth! She hopped over and began to nibble as fast as she could.
‘That filly’s not responsible though, is she?’ Joe continued, ‘She’d never dream of hurting you!’
‘Don’t you think that’s half the point!’ Goody Four-Shoes snapped, ‘keep your mouth shut, Joe, or you’ll be next!’
Cadence was out of the basket and sneaking slowly and carefully towards the doors. Joe quickly noticed her and was delighted, unfortunately, the expression on his face gave it away. Goody Four-Shoes turned her head in an instant. Cadence bolted for the hole, only just avoiding several summoning spells. She only just got through the hole.
Cadence looked around swiftly. Goody Four-Shoes would unlock the doors any moment now and Cadence knew that there was no way she could outrun the evil mare. She needed to find another hole and keep herself hidden in the shadows. There was no nearby hole she could see. As the doors opened, she hid herself in the darkest area she could find. Goody Four-Shoes and Joe came out of the room.
For a few moments, Cadence felt calm, but then, she felt a pit in her stomach, remembering how the mare had been able to see her perfectly well when there was no light at all. She would find her easily! Cadence heard hooves approaching her. She was surely done for!
‘Have you seen her yet, Joe?’ came the demanding tone of Goody Four-Shoes. Cadence looked up to find herself between Joe’s back hooves, hidden from the predatory eyes of Goody Four-Shoes.
‘Sorry, Goody, I haven’t,’ Joe responded; the fact that he was lying was almost undetectable, ‘maybe she went down that corridor,’ he suggested.
‘You make a good point,’ Goody Four-Shoes admitted grudgingly, ‘you stay here while I go and look.’ She galloped off.
When Joe was sure that she was gone, he let out a sigh of relief before turning to the bunny rabbit he had been hiding and protecting from his sister’s clutches.
‘There’s a hole down that corridor over there that leads to the drain pipe,’ Joe whispered, ‘you should be able to get out through there. I’m so sorry about all this.’
Cadence wanted to thank him and tell him it wasn’t for him to apologize but, it seemed, she was too scared to speak. The colt didn’t seem to expect a response in any case, so she nodded violently and hopped off as fast as she could, really hoping that Joe wouldn’t get found out by his merciless sister.
*
Shining Armor couldn’t understand it. Cadence was usually early.
‘Looks like you’ve been stood up,’ said the café owner, putting a sympathetic hoof on Shining Armor’s shoulder, ‘I’m sorry,’
‘But, Cadence would never do that . . .’ said Shining Armor softly, looking at the floor.
‘I know it’s tough, lad,’ the café owner replied, ‘especially on Hearts & Hooves Day.’
Shining Armor felt like crying. He couldn’t understand it, he just couldn’t . . .
He suddenly noticed something, he gasped, he hurried over to the table. Cadence’s necklace! She’d been here! Shining Armor felt sick, what if something awful had happened to her?
Shining Armor picked up the necklace and looked down at it in his hooves.
‘I’ll find you, Cadence,’ Shining Armor said, ‘whatever it takes, I’ll find you, I promise.’
It seemed like it had been so long since Cadence could breathe in fresh air. She tried to shake the water off and looked around. There were two things she had to do. She had to find a pony to help her and avoid being found by Goody Four-Shoes. She also needed a chance to think things through so she quickly crossed the road and headed for a more woodland area where she wasn’t likely to be seen by Goody Four-Shoes and less likely to be trampled on by ignorant ponies.
It had also occurred to her that, in a busy area, she was less likely to be heard and that anypony who she did try to speak to, would presume it was one of the other ponies. Cadence suddenly found herself being picked up by a pair of hooves. Panicked, she struggled.
‘It’s okay, little bunny. I’m not going to hurt you,’ came a soft and gentle voice.
Cadence looked up to find herself in the hooves of a yellow pegasus foal with three butterflies for a cutie mark.
‘I’ve never seen a pink rabbit before, but then, I’ve only been here a very short time . . .’ the little yellow filly continued half to herself.
Cadence opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. Maybe she hadn’t been too frightened to speak before after all, she couldn’t speak at all! Now what was she going to do! Cadence began to cry.
‘Oh, no! Don’t cry, little bunny!’ said the yellow foal in a quiet and concerned voice, ‘don’t worry, I’ll feed you and give you a nice bath and have you feeling better in no time.’
*
‘You really care about this filly, don’t you?’ the café owner said.
‘I think something awful may have happened to her,’ Shining Armor admitted miserably, on the verge of tears, ‘you didn’t see anything did you?’ he asked.
‘I wasn’t really paying attention to who the customers were,’ replied the café owner, ‘I’m sorry,’
‘Is there anywhere she could have gone without leaving?’ Shining Armor inquired, ‘and is there anypony who works here who might have seen something?’
‘The only place she could have gone is the basement,’ the café owner responded, ‘I don’t know any reason she would have gone down there except maybe curiosity.’ Cadence is rather curious, thought Shining Armor.
‘What’s down there?’ he asked.
‘It’s part store room, part residential,’ the café owner explained, ‘it’s occupied by two workers, a brother and sister. There’s a colt named Joe who has a donut for a cutie mark, and a mare with a ballet shoe for a cutie mark, goes by the name of Goody Four-Shoes.’ He gave a shiver.
‘What’s wrong?’ Shining Armor inquired.
‘Call me crazy,’ said the café owner, ‘but that mare gives me the creeps. No idea why. Anyway, you’re welcome to go down there and have a look around and ask them some questions.’
‘Thank you,’ Shining Armor breathed.
The café owner lent him a small bag which went around his middle to carry the necklace in while he searched.
‘Thank you again,’ Shining Armor mumbled.
‘It’s not your fault, you know,’ the café owner told him.
‘Yes it is,’ replied Shining Armor, ‘I was the one who invited her here. She’s never been to Ponyville before,’
‘Then there’s a possibility that she just went out for air and got lost,’ the café owner said encouragingly. Shining Armor gave a weak and hopeful smile.
Shining Armor looked around the large and somewhat eerie basement. On hearing the sound of hooves, he turned to see another colt coming towards him with a panicked expression on his face.
‘Are you Joe?’ Shining Armor asked.
‘You shouldn’t be down here,’ Joe told him hurriedly, ‘get back upstairs before Goody Four-Shoes comes back!’
‘She’s not here? Where did she go?’ Shining Armor inquired.
‘She went, um, out,’ Joe replied a little unnaturally.
‘I just wanted to ask you,’ Shining Armor explained, ‘if you’d seen a pale pink alicorn filly.’
‘Not recently, I saw one up in the café some time ago,’ Joe responded.
Shining Armor got the impression that Joe wasn’t telling the whole truth but decided to leave it and go and look for Goody Four-Shoes. Maybe she knew something.
*
The little yellow filly couldn’t understand it. Whatever she did, the pale pink bunny rabbit still remained very sad. She began to wonder whether it was something that had happened rather than something that she needed. It was quite a small rabbit, maybe she had lost her parents or something.
‘Excuse me,’ came the voice of a colt, causing the yellow foal to turn, ‘I’m sorry to bother you but do you know a pony named Goody Four-Shoes? She has a ballet shoe for a cutie mark.’
The yellow foal shook her head. Cadence had looked up on hearing the name, but all thoughts of her vanished in an instant when she saw who had spoken. She couldn’t believe it. It was Shining Armor! She did the only thing she could think of. She jumped from the small yellow filly’s grasp and clutched the colt’s right foreleg desperately, looking up at him, willing him to recognize her. Neither pony knew what to make of it.
‘Oh, my,’ said the little yellow filly in a low voice, ‘maybe, maybe she wants to go with you, maybe you should take her . . .’ The pink bunny rabbit nodded vigorously.
‘I suppose, I suppose I could take her,’ said Shining Armor thoughtfully, picking her up and placing her on his shoulder.
Shining Armor had not been very successful so far and felt rather down. The café owner had been the only one to believe he hadn’t just been stood up and wouldn’t accept it, except for maybe Big Macintosh, but it was hard to tell with him when he normally just responded with ‘yep’ or ‘nope’ to every question, besides, he had been occupied by the fact his sister had returned, and, on returning, had earned her cutie mark.
Shining Armor felt so incredibly worried. What could’ve happened to Cadence? Those goblins wouldn’t have dared return and take her, would they? Could some creature have taken her and be holding her for ransom? Had she been ponynapped or beaten up and left for dead? What if . . ? No, Thora would never . . . Would she?
He really wished he had somepony to talk to, and, as he only had a rabbit for company, despite the fact he very much doubted she would be able to understand, he decided to talk to her.
‘I’m looking for somepony,’ Shining Armor began, ‘somepony very dear to my heart. She, well, it’s hard to describe her, really. She’s kind and caring and the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. I was supposed to meet her today in a café but she disappeared. I know she was there because I found her necklace, the one I gave her. I’m sick with worry about her. I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t find her, but I will, I won’t stop searching until I do. I . . . I think I may really, truly love her . . . I left her a parcel and attached a note I wrote . . .’
He stopped. The pink bunny rabbit’s face was bright red. But Cadence had also realized something, she may be a rabbit, but she could still write. To Shining Armor’s surprise, the pink bunny rabbit jumped off his shoulder, and began to make marks in the sandy path. He gasped as he saw the marks making letters, and the letters, forming words:
I AM NOT REALLY A RABBIT
Shining Armor stared.
I AM A PONY
‘How did this happen?’ Shining Armor asked in an amazed and shocked tone.
The rabbit drew a picture of a unicorn’s horn.
‘Do I know you?’ Shining Armor inquired, remembering how desperately the bunny had clung to him.
The rabbit nodded.
‘Who are you?’ Shining Armor asked, but a moment after asking, he knew, ‘Cadence?’
The bunny rabbit nodded rapidly, a small smile forming on her face and tears of relief trickling down her cheeks.
‘Oh, Cadence,’ Shining Armor exclaimed, his voice full of pity, ‘Who did this to you?’
Cadence drew a picture of a ballet shoe. Shining Armor knew what it meant.
‘We need to find a way to change you back,’ Shining Armor said, ‘there’s a library not too far away . . .’
Cadence would have screamed if she had had a voice. She instinctively thumped her foot rapidly. Shining Armor turned.
‘Oh, you found my bunny rabbit. I’ve been looking for her everywhere!’ It was Goody Four-Shoes. Her voice sent chills down their spines.
‘She’s not yours and you can’t have her!’ Shining Armor snarled.
‘If you don’t give her to me,’ said Goody Four-Shoes in a dangerously low voice, ‘you will pay a very heavy price, colt!’
Shining Armor was very frightened but he stood firm and glared at her while Cadence clung to his left foreleg nervously.
‘Give me that rabbit now or I’ll rip you to shreds!’ Goody Four-Shoes said in a soft and very threatening tone.
‘Never!’ said Shining Armor fiercely. He quickly picked Cadence up and put her on his back, ‘hold tightly onto my mane,’ he told her. He galloped off as fast as he could.
‘I’ll get you for this!’ Goody Four-Shoes shrieked.
The streets were almost completely deserted which was both a good thing and a bad thing. He could hear Goody Four-Shoes’s rage only a short distance off. He thought, despite her size, that he could probably beat Goody Four-Shoes in a fight but he couldn’t take the chance of losing.
He headed for the library. He dived through the open door and proceeded to block the doorway with various things around the room, and put the bag he was wearing down, before hurrying to the bookshelves and looking through the most likely books. He heard a noise outside and summoned a large amount of other things to block the door. Cadence waited on the floor anxiously.
Just when Shining Armor was thinking that Goody Four-Shoes would very soon break through the blockage, he found the spell he was looking for. He hurried down, double checked the instructions, and performed the spell. It used more effort than he thought it would but he was successful.
‘Oh, thank you, Shining Armor, thank you!’ said a very grateful Cadence who was glad to be able to speak again.
A loud noise made them turn. Goody Four-Shoes had broken through the barricade. She dived at Shining Armor and pinned him to the ground. She was incredibly strong for a mare, a lot stronger than he had expected, plus, her rage was making her even stronger. Shining Armor had been caught off guard, as he had expected her to go for Cadence rather than him, and now was struggling and trying to push the mare away.
‘I told you I would make you pay a heavy price, colt,’ said Goody Four-Shoes savagely, ‘and now, you’re going to pay!’ She punched him as hard as she could, and continued to strike him, any pity she had only reserved for herself.
‘Leave him alone!’ Cadence shouted, hurrying over, but found herself being kicked back into one of the bookshelves.
Shining Armor was unable to fight back as he didn’t have time to recover from one blow before the next one came at him. He was kicked hard against the wall. Cadence galloped towards him. Goody Four-Shoes was about to stab him with her sharp horn when Cadence got there and placed herself over him. She glared at Goody Four-Shoes. Shining Armor looked up, surprised the next blow hadn’t come.
‘Move aside, you pathetic filly!’ spat Goody Four-Shoes.
‘Never!’ cried Cadence, angry and frightened tears flowing down her face both for herself and Shining Armor, ‘It’s me you really want, isn’t it!’
‘Cadence,’ Shining Armor murmured, ‘don’t do it!’
‘If you’re going to beat up anypony,’ Cadence continued, ‘it should be me!’
A noise at the door made the three ponies turn. It was Joe, making his way through what remained of the blockage.
‘I told you to stay at the café!’ Goody Four-Shoes snapped.
‘I’m not listening to you anymore,’ Joe stuttered, ‘if I wasn’t such a scaredy pony, I would have turned against you before!’
Goody Four-Shoes advanced towards him, grinding her teeth furiously, fortunately, Shining Armor had now had a chance to recover. Joe flattened himself against the wall with a terrified expression on his face, but was determined not to run away.
Cadence and Shining Armor attacked Goody Four-Shoes before she had a chance to lay hoof upon her younger brother. Joe tried to help them but got fiercely kicked back. Goody Four-Shoes was even more enraged.
‘I’m going to make you two suffer!’ Goody Four-Shoes snarled ferociously, ‘I’ll turn you both into bugs!’ She got ready to cast the spell.
‘Shining Armor,’ said Cadence urgently, ‘put up your repelling shield!’
Shining Armor managed to put it up just before the spell was supposed to hit them. It rebounded, and hit Goody Four-Shoes. Within a few seconds, all that remained was a small beetle on the floor. Joe quickly summoned a screw top jar and placed the beetle in it. For a few moments, there was only silence.
‘She’s gone . . .’ said Joe quietly, ‘she’s gone!’ he shouted joyfully, starting to cartwheel around the room, ‘wahoo! I’m free, I’m free! I can finally do what I want and not live in fear of her any longer! This is the greatest day ever!’ The other two ponies laughed before turning to each other.
‘Are you alright?’ Cadence inquired.
‘Nothing I won’t recover from. I’m sorry I wasted your day,’ Shining Armor said, ‘I shouldn’t have asked you here.’
‘It wasn’t your fault, Shining Armor,’ Cadence replied.
‘Yeah,’ added Joe, ‘it was all Goody No-Shoes’s fault! She can’t wear shoes now!’
‘And besides,’ Cadence continued, ‘Hearts & Hooves Day isn’t over yet!’
There was a pause.
‘Did you – did you really mean those things you said about me?’ Cadence asked shyly, not quite looking at him. Shining Armor’s face reddened.
‘Well, yeah . . .’ Shining Armor responded, looking at the floor and feeling incredibly embarrassed. Cadence gave a beautiful smile and blushed furiously. ‘Uh, here . . .’ he continued, going over to the bag and fetching the necklace he had given her. He hurried back to Cadence, but still wouldn’t look at her.
‘I hoped it was you,’ Cadence told him quietly, looking down and gazing into his eyes.
Shining Armor looked up both in slight surprise and in order to put her necklace back on her using magic. Joe smiled as he watched. Shining Armor was even more surprised to find Cadence leaning her head against his shoulder.
‘You were very brave,’ she said.
‘So were you!’ Shining Armor responded, ‘I just wish this day hadn’t been such a disaster.’
‘Maybe it won’t have been,’ Cadence replied, ‘once it’s over.’
At last, Cadence dared to do what she had been tempted to do several times before. Shining Armor grinned as Cadence planted a kiss on his cheek.
I can’t believe I’m so lucky, Shining Armor thought as he and Cadence walked in the direction of the café they had supposed to meet in, having just been over to Sweet Apple Acres to introduce Cadence to Big Macintosh, that Cadence actually likes me. I can’t believe that beautiful filly considers me worthy . . . Cadence smiled at Shining Armor as they walked along. He likes me, he really likes me! Cadence thought, how am I worthy of this strong, brave and handsome colt . . ?
When they first arrived at the café, neither of them seemed to be aware that they had reached their destination. The first thing they became aware of was a thumping noise inside. This turned out to be Joe bouncing around. The café owner was laughing.
‘Alright, Joe, calm down!’ the café owner said, ‘I know you’re happy and excited but . . .’ He turned his head to see Cadence and Shining Armor coming through the door.
‘I came to give this back,’ Shining Armor told the café owner, hoofing over the bag he had lent him, ‘thank you again.’
‘You’re welcome,’ the café owner replied, ‘and I’m sorry about all this. Joe told me everything he knows about what happened.’ Cadence had a sudden thought.
‘Joe,’ Cadence said quickly. Joe looked up. ‘There’s no donut shop in Canterlot and I’m sure Auntie Tia would be happy to give you some funding to start one up, especially after your help.’
‘Are you serious?’ Joe asked excitably.
‘If that’s okay with you,’ Cadence added to the café owner.
‘Of course it is,’ the café owner responded, ruffling Joe’s mane, ‘besides, I had a couple of colts asking about work earlier today. I haven’t introduced myself, have I? The name’s Oregon Trail.’
‘I’m Shining Armor,’ Shining Armor said.
‘It’s Cadence,’ Cadence told him.
‘Nice to meet . . . hang on, isn’t that the name of the new princess? Princess Celestia’s niece?’
‘That’s me,’ Cadence replied.
Oregon Trail was somewhere between shocked and amazed at having a princess in his café.
It was quickly decided that Joe would go with them when they returned to Canterlot. Shining Armor and Cadence had a snack in the café before they left, which Oregon Trail insisted they didn’t pay for as he felt partly to blame for what had happened.
*
‘Oh, Shining Armor,’ came Cadence’s sympathetic tone, after they had arrived back in Canterlot.
‘I have a black eye, don’t I?’ Shining Armor asked her.
‘And quite a bit of bruising on other parts of your body.’ Cadence added.
‘What am I going to tell everypony?’ Shining Armor said with a sigh, ‘They’ll think I’m been in some sort of fight.’
‘Tell them the truth,’ Cadence replied, ‘everypony should know how brave you were.’
Shining Armor’s face went red and he gave a small smile. They decided to meet up with Joe again later, and, in the meantime, he would have a look around.
‘See you later!’ Joe said.
‘Come on, Shining Armor!’ called Cadence.
Shining Armor hesitated, wishing he was any color but the white that he was; it made the bruising, which was showing more all the time, incredibly obvious.
‘Go on,’ said Joe, nudging him, ‘she’s waiting for her knight in shining armor!’
‘Oh, shut up, Joe!’ Shining Armor muttered with a smile, before trotting over to Cadence who put her head on his shoulder.
They were unaware they were being watched by Thora, a very jealous, green with envy Thora, who was both angry and surprised to see Cadence. Joe soon met a colt named Steamer who was spending time with his little brother, Tex, and decided that they would show Joe round.
As Shining Armor and Cadence walked along, Thora skulked after them, determined to ruin their date. They walked through the gates and towards the main part of the city. Cadence gave a happy sigh and smiled at Shining Armor who couldn’t help gazing into her beautiful eyes for a few moments.
They were approaching the steep slope. Thora summoned a thick piece of branch from a tree and cast a spell on it to turn it invisible. She then placed it, by magic, in Cadence’s path. The invisibility spell had made it so the magic surrounding the object was invisible too. She prepared herself to re-summon the branch as soon as Cadence had tripped. That would give Cadence a good scare at least.
‘Alright, princess,’ Thora sneered, ‘let’s see how much you like tumbling down that steep slope!’
Cadence did trip, but Shining Armor grabbed her before she fell.
‘Are you alright, Cadence?’ Shining Armor asked anxiously.
‘I’ll be alright,’ Cadence replied breathlessly, ‘just a little shaken up I guess.’
‘We should probably all be more careful on this slope,’ Shining Armor pointed out.
‘Thank you for not letting me fall . . .’ said Cadence, blushing slightly.
‘No problem,’ Shining Armor responded, ‘that’s what I’m here for.’
Cadence smiled. Thora cursed. She might even have just improved their relationship! She couldn’t afford mistakes like that if she was going to ruin their date. Shining Armor and Cadence walked down the slope and into the main city. Thora followed them sulkily at a distance. Cadence needed to sit down for a few moments as she was still recovering from her shock so the two of them sat down under a couple of trees.
‘Maybe,’ said Shining Armor shyly, ‘maybe we could watch the sunset together . . .’
‘That would be wonderful . . .’ Cadence responded.
Thora glared over at them. She summoned a bucket which happened to be close by and hurriedly filled it with water from the moat using a long distance summoning spell.
‘Let’s see how much she likes him, and he likes it, when he’s all wet!’ Thora snarled.
Cadence noticed the water and managed to push Shining Armor out of the way but got herself covered in water.
‘Are you okay?’ Shining Armor asked Cadence.
‘I’m cold and wet,’ said Cadence sadly, ‘and I must look a sight . . . But, at least, you’re dry.’
Shining Armor gave a small smile and put a foreleg around her.
‘You don’t look a sight,’ Shining Armor told her, ‘you look as lovely as always.’
Cadence gave a small laugh and a smile through a shiver.
‘Thanks, Cadence,’ Shining Armor added, ‘come on, let’s find somewhere to dry you off.’
Shining Armor did feel a bit suspicious. The two incidents seemed so random and had no explanation: Cadence had appeared to trip over something but there was nothing there and water had come out of nowhere, only in one place, on a sunny day.
They entered a posh restaurant owned by Fleur de Lis’s parents. Fleur de Lis came racing over.
‘Cadence, you’re soaked!’ Fleur de Lis cried, ‘and Shining Armor . . . Woah . . . You’re covered in bruises and you have a black eye! What have you been doing? Who have you been fighting with?’
‘Not now,’ said Shining Armor, ‘Cadence is very wet and chilled to the bone.’
Fleur de Lis quickly brought a few towels and she and Shining Armor tried to dry Cadence as much as they could.
‘Come into the kitchens, Cadence,’ Fleur de Lis told her, ‘it’s normally nice and warm in there . . .’ She turned to Shining Armor. ‘I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was you who had asked Cadence on a date. It should have been obvious!’ Shining Armor gave an awkward, slightly embarrassed smile.
Steamer and Joe suddenly blundered into the restaurant, receiving scowls of disapproval from many of the customers, racing after a slightly over excited Tex. Steamer caught him and landed at Fleur de Lis hooves. He smiled awkwardly, the braces clearly showing on his teeth.
‘Sorry,’ Steamer began, ‘my brother was pretending to be a cowcolt and got a bit carried away.’
‘Just don’t let it happen again or my parents will kill me,’ Fleur de Lis whispered with a smile, ‘and I don’t want them to disapprove of you either,’ she added.
Steamer picked himself up and noticed Shining Armor’s appearance.
‘Woah! Shining Armor, you’ve been through the wars haven’t you!’ Steamer exclaimed before remembering he wasn’t supposed to be in the restaurant. He, Joe and Tex headed out. Cadence gave a sneeze.
‘I’m supposed to be taking you to the kitchens!’ Fleur de Lis gasped, hurrying Cadence in, followed by Shining Armor.
‘Do you like Steamer back?’ Cadence asked her.
‘I’m not sure if I’m honest,’ Fleur de Lis replied, ‘I might do.’ Cadence smiled.
The kitchens were filled with a lovely aroma and were very warm due to the large amount of cooking.
‘So how come Cadence is wet and you’re covered in bruises?’ Fleur de Lis asked Shining Armor.
‘Well, they’re two separate things,’ Shining Armor explained, ‘the water came out of nowhere and would have landed on me if Cadence hadn’t pushed me out the way. The bruising I received from an extreme malcontent.’
‘What’s an extreme malcontent?’ Fleur de Lis asked, ‘and what was the quarrel between you and him?’
‘It was a mare,’ Shining Armor responded, ‘and an extreme malcontent is like Thora, but a lot worse.’
‘And the quarrel?’ Fleur de Lis inquired.
‘She wanted to turn me into soup,’ Cadence told her. The two ponies stared. ‘But now she’s turned herself into a bug, we don’t have to worry about her,’ Cadence continued.
‘This is the second time since you’ve been here that you’ve got yourself into major trouble, Cadence!’ exclaimed Fleur de Lis, ‘how is Shining Armor supposed to manage when you’re such high maintenance!’
Cadence and Shining Armor looked up to see that a large pot of soup was about to pour on top of them. They stared and clutched each other. Luckily, Fleur de Lis managed to stable the pot using magic and catch the culprit.
‘Put me down!’ Thora grumbled and grumped as Cadence and Shining Armor looked up again. Unfortunately, Thora managed to struggle free and headed for the front doors at a drastic speed.
‘Oh, forget about her,’ Shining Armor said to Cadence, ‘come on, it’s almost dusk, if you still want to . . .’ he added shyly. Cadence nodded and they left the restaurant.
As they walked on, the two colts, who were with their dates, that Shining Armor had met earlier, caught sight of him and Cadence. They gaped. Suddenly, Shining Armor found his sister running up to him. She seemed very excited but the first thing he noticed was her cutie mark.
‘I’m guessing you got in then!’ Shining Armor said with a laugh.
‘She didn’t just get in,’ came the voice of Twilight Velvet, who was walking towards them with Night Light.
‘She’s going to be Princess Celestia’s personal protégé!’ Night Light continued.
‘Congratulations!’ said Cadence who the three ponies hadn’t noticed was there before. Twilight Velvet and Night Light stared, understanding something that Twilight Sparkle did not.
‘Time to go, Twilight,’ Twilight Velvet told her. Twilight Sparkle was confused.
‘We should leave these two alone,’ added Night Light.
‘Why?’ asked Twilight Sparkle as her parents led her away, ‘I want to spend time with them!’
‘You can do that anytime!’ Twilight Velvet said, giving a knowing smile which Night Light returned.
Cadence and Shining Armor found a grassy patch in the open and settled down. The cool air was refreshing especially after coming out of those steamy kitchens.
‘Should we tell Twilight, you know, about us?’ Cadence asked, leaning her head against Shining Armor’s side.
‘I don’t think we need to,’ Shining Armor replied, his face reddening slightly again, ‘she’ll work it out for herself sooner or later,’
Cadence nodded and gave a happy sigh. Shining Armor beamed. As the sun set, and the moon was raised, Shining Armor put a foreleg around Cadence’s shoulder.
Cadence turned her head to see Shining Armor returning with ice creams for them both. He sat down next to her on the grass and smiled. She smiled back. They had wanted to go elsewhere that day but after Celestia had heard about the events of Hearts & Hooves Day, she had wanted Cadence to remain closer to home for a while.
‘Are you alright, Cadence?’ Shining Armor asked as they were eating their ice creams, noticing that Cadence was a little tensed up.
‘I’m just a little worried,’ Cadence admitted, ‘I haven’t seen Lis all day and she was supposed to meet me this morning . . .’
‘What was that about Fleur?’ came the voice of Steamer, who had been hiding behind a tree.
‘Were you two spying on us?’ Shining Armor asked.
‘How did you know I was here?’ said Joe.
‘Because these days, wherever Steamer is, you are, Joe,’ Cadence told him.
‘Fair point,’ Joe responded, ‘now what were you saying about Fleur?’
‘I haven’t seen her all day,’ said Cadence, ‘have you?’
Joe and Steamer shook their heads, looking a little embarrassed.
‘You don’t have a crush on Fleur de Lis too, do you, Joe?’ Shining Armor asked.
‘Only a very slight one,’ Joe admitted, ‘don’t worry, Steamer,’ he added, ‘I don’t want to go out with her or anything.’
Steamer looked a little relieved and smiled at his best friend. Shining Armor suddenly thought of something.
‘Cadence,’ said Shining Armor, ‘did you check your room thoroughly, and have you been there since this morning? There’s a possibility Fleur left a note for you.’
‘I never thought of that,’ Cadence told him, feeling guilty that her slight worry was interrupting their date.
‘Would you like to go and have a look?’ Shining Armor inquired. Cadence hesitated, feeling more guilty.
‘I’m sorry,’ Cadence said, ‘but I would. I can’t get rid of this worry, I’m really sorry.’
‘Don’t apologize, Cadence,’ Shining Armor replied, ‘there’s no point being on a date if you’re worrying.’
Cadence smiled at him before noticing he had ice cream around his mouth. She quickly summoned one of the napkins that had come with the ice creams and wiped his mouth for him. Shining Armor smiled awkwardly.
Once they had finished, they quickly headed for Cadence’s room, followed by Steamer and Joe who were keen to know what had happened to Fleur de Lis.
‘Why were you spying on us anyway?’ Shining Armor asked the two colts.
‘Well, we were discussing about dates,’ Joe explained, ‘and we realized we didn’t know the first thing about going out with a filly.’
‘Which would be a bit of a problem,’ Steamer continued, ‘if we ever did get fillyfriends. We thought watching you two might give us some hints.’ Cadence laughed pleasantly.
‘Did it occur to you that we don’t have much idea either?’ Cadence asked them with a smile.
*
Shining Armor and Cadence walked into her room, the other two waited outside, anxious for news of Fleur de Lis. Cadence’s room wasn’t as tidy as it could have been. The bedspread was rather ruffled and several things were lying on the floor.
On the dressing-table, in front of the mirror, were a few things from Hearts & Hooves Day including her necklace, and, next to the mirror, was a vase of flowers which Shining Armor had picked for her earlier in the day. But on the dressing-table was also a note which had a large hair bow partly on it, partly next to it.
Cadence began to read the note.
Dear Princess Cadence,
I come as a friend to tell you that your friend, Fleur de Lis, is being held captive by some creatures and that you must rescue her immediately. Who knows what will befall her if you don’t.
Cadence stared at the note, which was signed with the letters ‘RM’, and had directions written beneath the main part of it, and stared at the very pale pink hair bow which she now recognized as belonging to Fleur de Lis.
‘I have to go,’ Cadence told Shining Armor, ‘Lis’s like a sister to me. I can’t just leave her! Will you help me sneak out, Shining Armor? I’m sorry I ruined our date . . .’
Shining Armor had doubts that Cadence would be able to leave anypony that was in trouble.
‘It’s not your fault, Cadence,’ Shining Armor told her, ‘how about I take you out to dinner this evening once we’ve rescued Fleur?’
‘That would be wonderful,’ Cadence answered in a slightly dreamy tone, ‘but, what do you mean, ‘we’? Are you coming too?’
‘Of course I am,’ Shining Armor responded, ‘who’s going to protect you from those creatures who are holding Fleur hostage if I don’t?’
‘Thank you, Shining Armor,’ Cadence said, rubbing her face against his side.
*
The two of them had managed to sneak out of Canterlot undetected, accompanied by Joe and Steamer, who, after hearing what had happened, wanted to come along too, and, as they had pointed out, the note hadn’t specified how many creatures there were; there could be loads of them.
Besides, if it was noticed that Cadence was no longer in Canterlot, Joe and Steamer would be among the first asked. Cadence felt very guilty about going against her aunt’s orders but this was very important and the note had specifically said to come immediately.
*
‘We must be nearly there,’ Cadence told the colts, ‘there are no more directions.’
They had recently past Neighagra Falls.
‘What is that stench?’ Joe asked, ‘it’s horrible!’
‘I’ve never smelt anything like it,’ Steamer commented, ‘or seen anything like it for that matter.’
There were no leaves on the trees even though it wasn’t winter or fall, and the leaves on the ground which were whole were a dark shade of purple, the others were skeleton leaves. Many of the tress looked withered and shriveled; the grass was patches of yellow and brown. Small trickles of water came out of the ground in a few places but it was a greeny brown color. As they walked on, they found green flames coming out of the ground but they were just standing there and not spreading at all. They didn’t dare touch them to found out if it was actually real fire or not. The sound of water in the distance was fading now. Cadence looked around nervously.
‘Don’t worry, Cadence,’ came Shining Armor’s reassuring tone, ‘everything will be alright.’ Cadence tried to smile.
Within a few moments, a cave like entrance was in view. Cadence swallowed, and led the way towards it through an eerie silence. All they could hear were their hooves slowly moving forward, and a slight breeze which sounded like the mournful whispers of twenty nine ponies.
Once they had walked through the entrance, they were constantly on the lookout for danger, but, at least, for the moment, there was not a creature in sight. It was noticeable, however, that they were heading downwards; most of the settlement must be underground. They stopped. There were three tunnels ahead of them, each looking more unpleasant than the last.
‘Right,’ said Cadence, sounding braver than she felt, ‘we’ll split up. Shining Armor, you take one; Steamer and Joe, take the next; and I’ll take the third.’
‘In the Royal Guard,’ Shining Armor told them, ‘they taught us how to light our horns up in union. Once one unicorn puts out their light, those of the others will go out too. We could use this technique to tell each other if we find Fleur or run into trouble.’
The other three nodded.
‘Steamer and Joe,’ Shining Armor continued, ‘you take that tunnel, Cadence, take that one, and I’ll take this one.’
*
It felt like she had been walking for ages. Cadence knew that Shining Armor had given her the safest looking tunnel but that didn’t stop her feeling rather nervous. She would be glad when they had found Fleur de Lis and could get out of this horrible place. Was that blood on the wall? She tried to ignore it, and increased her speed to a trot.
She turned a corner to find the next part of the tunnel covered in, what looked like, giant spider webs.
‘Oh, no!’ came a voice from above. Cadence looked up.
‘Lis! You’re okay!’ Cadence cried, running in her direction, and putting out her horn.
‘Watch out for Arachne’s webs!’ shouted Fleur de Lis who was stuck to one of the webs.
‘Who’s Arachne?’ Cadence asked.
‘Never mind now!’ said Fleur de Lis hurriedly and urgently, ‘Cadence! You have to go! Now! Hurry! This whole thing’s a trap! I was only brought here in the first place because I was mistaken for you! Raven Mocker, the one who left you the note, he’s the leader of these mutated creatures! He wants to trap you, keep you here forever! These creatures, they feed off love, it’s what makes them powerful. That’s all I know about their species without the mutations. That’s why he wants you! There was some kind of magical explosion which mutated them. But Cadence, you must leave now!’
‘I’m not leaving without you!’ Cadence replied, ‘whatever you say!’
‘You must!’ came Fleur de Lis’s desperate tone, ‘They’re expecting you! Raven Mocker and his henchmares will be back any moment!’
‘We’re already back,’ came the slippery tone of Raven Mocker from a small platform some distance above. Two other creatures were emerging from the other side of the corridor.
‘Run, Cadence, run!’ Fleur de Lis yelled, but Cadence was too scared to move.
Raven Mocker flew down from his little platform, his raven-like wings spread wide, dodging the webs with ease, and landed behind Cadence who quickly turned, backed away, and stared at the black pony-like creature that stood before her: his muzzle, mane and tail were blood red; his legs, mane, tail and horn (which was long and curved) were full of holes; his ears were unusually pointed; he was quite a bit older and bigger than she was too.
‘What do you think of the place, princess?’ Raven Mocker asked casually, giving a grin which showed his pearly white teeth, two of which were particularly fang-like.
‘It’s absolutely horrible,’ Cadence retorted, ‘Let my friend go this instant! Why . . . why are you looking at me like that . . ?’ she inquired nervously, noticing that Raven Mocker was encircling her and looking at her in a very odd manner. Cadence suddenly felt very vulnerable.
‘It’s just,’ Raven Mocker began with a nasty smile, his small, yellow eyes glittering, ‘no-pony told me you were so . . . attractive . . .’
‘Don’t you dare lay a hoof on her!’ Fleur de Lis shouted, ‘or when I get down . . !’
‘You mean, if you get down!’ came a voice which belonged to Arachne.
‘Allow me to introduce my henchmares,’ Raven Mocker continued as if nothing had happened, ‘This is Arachne, and this is Lamia.’
Cadence turned her head to see the other two mutated creatures walking towards her.
‘You weren’t thinking of going somewhere, princess?’ Lamia hissed, her forked tongue sticking out slightly.
‘Should I tie her up, your majesty?’ Arachne asked with a small smile.
‘No, Arachne,’ Raven Mocker replied, ‘let’s see if she’ll co-operate first . . .’
‘What do you want from me!’ Cadence demanded, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
‘Oh, just a few things,’ said Raven Mocker casually, while continuing to look at her. Cadence glared at him. ‘I just want you to stay here forever, provide us with power via your special talent, and, of course, become my queen.’
Cadence was both horrified and disgusted.
‘I’d rather die!’ Cadence snarled.
‘That can be arranged, my dear,’ Raven Mocker sneered, ‘but I have no doubt that you will change your mind. They all do in the end . . .’
‘I’ll be the first then!’ Cadence snapped. Arachne and Lamia laughed. ‘And I’m not your anything!’
‘That will soon change,’ Raven Mocker replied, moving closer to Cadence.
Fleur de Lis desperately tried to free herself.
‘Come now, sweetheart,’ Raven Mocker continued, ‘I’m not that bad, am I?’
‘You’re repulsive!’ Cadence retorted.
‘Repulsive, am I?’ Raven Mocker responded, stroking her cheek and mane; Cadence tried to move away, but Arachne and Lamia held her down. ‘Well as repulsive as you think I am, if you don’t agree to the conditions,’ Raven Mocker said silkily, ‘you can say goodbye to your friend.’
‘Don’t agree, Cadence!’ Fleur de Lis told her, ‘save yourself!’’
Cadence felt sick.
‘There’s no point in resisting in any case, sweetheart,’ Raven Mocker continued softly, ‘I always win, I always get my way, I away get what I want . . .’
The three colts raced over. Steamer and Joe attacked Arachne and Lamia while Shining Armor attacked Raven Mocker with all the strength he had.
‘Run, Cadence!’ Shining Armor shouted as he defended himself and released Fleur de Lis, using magic, who landed on Steamer, at the same time.
‘Don’t let her get away!’ Raven Mocker yelled to Arachne and Lamia.
Lamia, who was free, because Steamer had stopped fighting her and was momentarily occupied, blocked Cadence’s path.
‘Going somewhere, princess?’ Lamia sneered.
‘Yes I am!’ said Cadence angrily, ‘past you!’
Lamia tried to grab her. Cadence only just avoided her grasp. Shining Armor rushed over to Cadence.
‘Are you alright?’ Shining Armor asked. Cadence nodded shakily.
The other three were together. They decided to all group together at the far wall. They only realized moments before that there were large holes in front of it. They tried to stop, they crashed into each other, they crashed into the wall, they fell through the holes, moments before the hour struck.
‘Shining Armor?’ came Fleur de Lis’s voice, ‘I can’t see a thing in here.’
‘Me neither,’ Shining Armor replied, ‘hold on, I’ll light up my horn.’
‘Is anypony else here?’ Fleur de Lis inquired.
‘I don’t think so,’ Shining Armor responded, ‘but keep your voice down; we don’t want those creatures to hear us.’ Shining Armor’s horn lit up dark pink which he changed into a clear light.
‘Those holes we went through must have transported us to different places,’ said Fleur de Lis, ‘but why did the holes close . . ?’
‘Never mind that,’ Shining Armor replied hurriedly, ‘we have to find a way out of this place and find the others.’
‘Are you alright?’ Fleur de Lis asked, noticing that Shining Armor was rather breathless.
‘I’m just so worried about Cadence,’ Shining Armor confessed, ‘what if that creep finds her before we do? She could be all alone!’
‘I’m worried too,’ Fleur de Lis admitted, ‘but it is quite likely that she’s with Steamer or Joe, maybe even both of them.’
Shining Armor gave a hopeful smile.
‘Besides,’ Fleur de Lis continued, ‘the hole she went through probably closed like ours did which would make it harder to find her.’
*
‘Joe! Get your horn out of my side!’ muttered Steamer, ‘presuming that it is you, Joe.’
‘Yep,’ Joe mumbled, ‘it’s me. Hey, I can almost see you now! I’ll light up my horn.’
‘The hole’s disappeared, Joe! Do you think it means something?’ Steamer exclaimed, ‘I mean, why . . .’
‘Yeah,’ said Joe, ‘it means they can’t follow us! Did you hear the hour strike, or was it just me?’
‘Joe, that’s it! The holes! I reckon they change their outlet location every hour!’ Steamer told him, evidently pleased with himself.
‘I reckon you’re right, Steamer,’ Joe responded, ‘hang on, we shouldn’t be talking about holes! We need to find the others!’
‘Especially Cadence,’ Steamer added, ‘that creature in charge had something against her, I reckon.’
‘More like he had it in for her, but, well, whatever it was,’ Joe said, ‘Shining Armor wasn’t too happy about it!’
‘With any luck,’ Steamer replied, ‘Cadence is with Shining Armor. I’m worried about Fleur myself. What did those creatures want with her in the first place anyway?’
*
‘Next time I see that creep,’ Shining Armor growled, ‘he’s so going to pay!’
Fleur de Lis wasn’t so sure now that it had been such a good idea telling Shining Armor what she knew and what she had seen.
‘Did you say twenty nine?’ Shining Armor asked, ‘Twenty nine! How is that even possible?’
‘The main reason is the length of time each of them lasted . . .’ Fleur de Lis explained.
The two of them increased their speed.
*
‘You don’t think they make pony sacrifices around here, do you?’ Joe asked Steamer.
‘Why?’ Steamer inquired anxiously.
‘Haven’t you noticed there’s a particularly large amount of blood on these walls in this area?’ Joe said nervously.
‘Hey! What’s that!’ Steamer exclaimed.
It looked like there was some kind of monument a little further down the corridor. They hurried over to it. There were twenty nine pictures, five in each row, except the last row which only had four. Each row had five names, under each name, except on, was an inscription saying . . .
‘Lasted four weeks!’ Joe gasped, ‘lasted ten days!’
‘The earlier ones seemed to have lasted longer,’ Steamer pointed out, ‘a few years, for the ones here. The longest lasted four and a half years.’
‘There’s no picture for the thirtieth one,’ said Joe, ‘but there is a name. Move a bit, Steamer, I can’t see.’
Once Steamer had moved, the two of them gasped.
‘Maybe it’s a name coincidence,’ suggested Joe, hopefully. Steamer shook his head. ‘But she’s far too young,’ Joe spluttered, ‘if this is what I think it is, I mean, they’re all female and young. It’s illegal . . !’
‘Maybe by our laws, but theirs?’ replied Steamer, ‘And besides, if he’s the one in charge, he can probably do whatever he wants.’
‘That explains his attitude to Cadence,’ Joe told him, ‘and that also explains why Shining Armor acted the way he did, I mean, you can’t really blame him, can you!’
The two colts turned to see Shining Armor and Fleur de Lis trotting towards them.
‘Oh, great,’ Shining Armor sighed anxiously, ‘she’s not with you two either! Cadence is all on her own!’
‘We’ll find her, Shining Armor,’ said Fleur de Lis reassuringly, ‘don’t worry.’
*
Cadence was very alone, and very frightened, but was determined to find the others and escape. They would surely be worried about her, especially Shining Armor. She was very much aware of each step she took, and every single tiny noise made her feel chilled to the bone with fear. It was very hard to see, and each shadow she came to could belong to Raven Mocker, or, perhaps, he might jump out at her, having been hidden in the shadows.
Cadence wiped a frightened tear from her eye. She wasn’t frightened of him forcing her to give in, because she was determined not to, she was frightened of what he might do to her to try to force her to give in.
She gave a shudder. Raven Mocker was so big and strong that she was practically defenseless against him, only somepony like Shining Armor stood a chance. Could she use wit against him? She doubted it, he seemed too clever.
Cadence dared to light up her horn, turned a corner and found herself face to face with Lamia and Arachne. Cadence let out a horrified gasp.
‘Well, well, what do we have here?’ Arachne sneered, ‘A poor, lost, little, princess! Whatever shall we do?’
‘Did you miss us?’ Lamia added nastily, ‘we’ve been looking everywhere for you.’
‘Raven Mocker will be very pleased,’ Arachne continued with a most unpleasant smile, ‘there’s no point in trying to run away!’
‘You’re ours now, princess!’ Lamia said wickedly.
‘You, you don’t have to do this, you know,’ Cadence told them while trying to keep the panic out of her voice as she backed away.
‘We want to!’ came their cruel tones, ‘we’ve got you!’
Cadence desperately tried to think. She suddenly noticed a small rock some distance behind the two creatures in the corridor. She quickly raised it with magic, then let it fall. The noise was distraction enough for Arachne and Lamia to turn their heads for a moment. This allowed enough time for Cadence to run towards them, jump, and, aided by her wings, land a small distance behind them.
Cadence ran, ran blindly, ran as fast as she could.
‘You can’t run forever!’ Cadence heard Lamia shout from not too far away.
Cadence knew that if she didn’t do something, or find somewhere to hide very soon, she would most certainly be caught.
Suddenly, a foreleg was around her middle, a hoof over her mouth. She tried to shout, she tried to struggle.
‘Be quiet and stop struggling unless you want to get us both caught!’ whispered a female voice, ‘I mean you no harm, I’m trying to help you escape from Raven Breath!’
Cadence looked up to see, to her surprise, that she was being held by what seemed to be a turquoise filly not much older, or bigger, than she was. The filly let go of her and Cadence stared. Was this filly a prisoner or something?
‘Follow me,’ the filly, who seemed to be an earth pony without a cutie mark, said hurriedly, ‘quickly as you can and keep quiet!’
Cadence nodded nervously and breathlessly. Cadence followed the mysterious filly down various passages, without meeting anything, until the filly stopped at one of the walls. She pushed at it, revealing a loose panel. Cadence hurried through the gap, into a small chamber. The other filly hurried after her. Cadence had thought the other filly was an earth pony, but now Cadence saw that she had a horn.
‘You’ll be safe here,’ the filly told her, ‘I don’t think even Raven Droppings knows about this chamber.’ Cadence managed a smile.
‘Thank you for saving me,’ Cadence said.
To Cadence’s surprise, the other filly looked at the ground.
‘I don’t normally help ponies,’ the filly admitted, ‘I can’t afford to. But no-pony, no creature, deserves to become one of that creep’s wives.’
‘One of them?’ Cadence asked, slightly alarmed.
‘You didn’t know?’ the filly replied, ‘he’s had twenty nine so far. He must think you’re something pretty special. He’s always been picky, but even more so with the round numbers, but then, I suppose, a very pretty, young alicorn, like yourself, would be quite a gem in his, uh, collection . . .’
‘What happened to them all?’ Cadence inquired, shaking slightly.
‘He killed most of them,’ responded the filly, ‘most of them were beaten to death for one reason or another; he lost interest, he wanted to re-marry, she wouldn’t do as she was told, said anything against him or complained in the slightest way, that kind of thing. Quite a few of them were treated like complete dirt from the beginning, once he had forced them into marriage, often encouraged other to treat them badly too. Some might as well have been his slaves, the way he treated them. Number ten, True Star her name was, pretty tragic. She only married him in order to save her foal after he ponynapped her. She was already engaged, you see, and pregnant. True Star didn’t trust him though. As soon as her little yellow filly could crawl, True Star helped her to escape. No-pony knows what happened to that foal, but what is known to some degree is the terrible treatment True Star received for her actions.’
‘But,’ Cadence stammered, ‘how did he get in power in the first place?’
‘Quite simple,’ the filly began, ‘these creatures, in normal circumstances, have a queen. A queen is born to be the most evil, cleverest and often most intimidating. Due to the mutated state of this particular bunch, they had to break off from their swarm. Raven Mocker possessed, at least, after his mutations, the qualities that a queen would possess. He therefore became the, uh, prince, king, emperor? Whatever he calls himself these days.’
‘Has anypony he pursued ever got away?’ Cadence asked anxiously.
‘No,’ replied the filly, ‘but there’s always a first time.’
‘I suppose,’ Cadence responded sleepily and miserably, ‘and I do have Shining Armor and the others looking for me . . .’
‘Who’s Shining Armor?’ the filly inquired.
‘Well,’ Cadence answered, ‘he’s not my coltfriend, but he almost is.’ Cadence gave a yawn.
‘Maybe you should have a short sleep,’ the filly suggested, ‘I’ll wait outside in case your friends turn up.’
‘Thank you,’ said Cadence, who was exhausted from running and fright, ‘what is your name?’
‘It’s Nova, short for Supernova,’ the filly told her, ‘but don’t tell anypony that I helped you.’
Cadence was too sleepy and too tired to wonder why. Her eyes drooped, and soon she was fast asleep.
Cadence was running. The wind was roaring past her.
‘Keep running, filly, keep running!’ a piteous voice called on the wind.
Cadence turned her head to see the spirit of a mare floating next to her. It was True Star. Cadence gasped. She had to keep going, she had to keep running.
‘There’s no point running, Princess!’ came the cruel tone of Raven Mocker on the wind, ‘there’s no point trying to resist. I will have you, you will be mine!’
‘No!’ Cadence yelled, ‘Never!’ She struggled to increase her speed.
‘You can’t run from me!’ Raven Mocker continued, ‘You can’t hide! I always get what I want, and I want you! You will be my queen, you will give me what I want!’
Cadence suddenly felt herself being pulled back by an unbridled force. She turned her head back to see twenty eight other spirits of female ponies, all looking gloomy, or sad, or scared, or shocked, or in mid scream. They all slowly disappeared, one at a time.
‘Don’t give in . . !’ went True Star’s voice, faint, weak, and in the distance, just before she disappeared too.
The pony spirits were replaced by a black hole which was pulling her in. Cadence tried to push against the force. She couldn’t. She was pulled into the black hole. She was screaming, falling. All she could hear was Raven Mocker laughing evilly at her, and, when she looked up, she could see his small, yellow eyes looking down at her.
**
Cadence opened her eyes and looked up. There was Raven Mocker right in front of her! Cadence screamed.
‘Cadence! It’s okay!’ came Shining Armor’s voice. The illusion of Raven Mocker melted away.
‘Are you okay, Cadence?’ Shining Armor asked anxiously, ‘I’ve been shaking you, but you wouldn’t wake up. You must have been having a dreadful nightmare!’ Cadence felt so happy, so relieved to see him.
‘Shining Armor,’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘you’re here!’ She hugged him tightly. ‘I was so scared!’ Shining Armor put his forelegs around her.
‘I’m here now, Cadence, I’m here.’ Shining Armor told her soothingly.
‘None of us are going to let that creep lay a hoof on you, Cadence!’ said Fleur de Lis. Joe and Steamer nodded. ‘We’re all here for you!’
*
The mysterious filly had disappeared, but had given instructions on the quickest way to get out after she had shown them where Cadence was hidden. The group were now hurrying down the corridors in a diamond format, with Cadence at the center, in order to keep her protected.
They were just a few corridors away from the entrance when they turned a corner and found themselves face to face with Raven Mocker, Arachne and Lamia. The three colts and Fleur de Lis instinctively moved closer to Cadence. Shining Armor glared ferociously at Raven Mocker.
‘Get out of the way!’ Fleur de Lis yelled. The three mutated creatures laughed. The five ponies charged at once, catching the creatures off guard. They ran on as fast as they could until their reached a fork.
‘She said left . . .’ said Fleur de Lis, ‘no, wait, that was the last turning . . .’
‘We need to take one!’ Joe cried, ‘quickly!’
‘But one of those will lead us off in completely the wrong direction!’ Shining Armor exclaimed. Cadence swallowed hard and took a deep breath.
‘Check them both,’ Cadence said hurriedly, ‘I’ll distract them.’
‘Cadence, no!’ exclaimed a horrified Shining Armor.
‘It’s the only way,’ Cadence replied quickly, ‘if we dither here, we’ll all get caught, if we go the wrong way and can’t come back we’re more or less caught or will be caught eventually, and I’m the only pony who could distract them!’
Cadence had hurried off before anypony could argue.
‘Hurry up and check those two tunnels!’ Shining Armor told the other three, ‘I’m following her.’
*
In many ways, Cadence really wished she hadn’t been so brave. Those three creatures were right on her tail. She increased her speed. She zigzagged across the corridor, attempting to make it harder for them to catch her. Sweat was running down her face, it was hard to see, she could barely breathe. Would she ever make it back to the entrance?
Not far now, not far now . . . Soon the others would be able to help her.
‘You’re not escaping this time, Princess!’ Raven Mocker sneered. He’s too fast, Cadence thought, feeling terrified, he’s going to catch me. Maybe the others were in hearing range.
‘Help!’ Cadence shouted as loudly as she could.
Raven Mocker gave a cruel laugh. Cadence knew that even if he couldn’t get near enough to grab her, he’d catch her anyway because she’d soon collapse from exhaustion. Cadence was almost at the fork when her hooves failed her.
‘No!’ Cadence murmured, feeling one of Raven Mocker’s hooves on her back, making sure she stayed where she was. Raven Mocker gave a triumphant smirk. Despite her exhaustion, Cadence managed to glare at him.
‘Still stubborn, are you, sweetheart?’ Raven Mocker snickered, ‘let’s see if a little torture won’t change that . . .’
Out of no-where it seemed, Shining Armor launched himself at Raven Mocker, Arachne and Lamia getting knocked back in the process.
‘Run, Cadence!’ Shining Armor shouted.
‘Oh, Shining Armor,’ responded Cadence rather hopelessly, ‘I can’t even get up.’
‘I’ll have to carry you then,’ Shining Armor replied.
‘You’re not carrying her anywhere!’ Raven Mocker snarled.
‘Oh yes I am!’ Shining Armor retorted savagely, kicking Raven Mocker hard against a wall. Shining Armor quickly put Cadence on his back and galloped off. Meeting the other three at the fork, then hurried through the entrance. As they ran, they looked up to see black creatures in the sky.
‘They’re trying to catch us!’ exclaimed Steamer.
‘And there are loads of them!’ added Joe.
‘We need to hide somewhere!’ Shining Armor told them.
‘We’ll hide behind the waterfall!’ said Fleur de Lis.
They waited behind Neighagra Falls in silence. The swarm soon gave up searching for them. They all let out sighs of relief.
‘You were incredibly brave, Cadence,’ Fleur de Lis commented.
*
‘Oh, no!’ exclaimed Cadence once they had arrived back in Canterlot, ‘Auntie Tia’s going to kill me!’
‘Cadence!’ came the cross tone of Princess Celestia, who was walking over, from across the lawn, ‘Where have you been! I precisely told you not to leave Canterlot! You had me worried sick!’
‘Don’t be too harsh on her, Princess Celestia,’ Fleur de Lis said, ‘she’s been through a lot today, and it was my fault really. If I hadn’t been captured, Cadence wouldn’t have come looking for me and stepped into a trap.’
‘Captured! Into a trap!’ Celestia asked, ‘what happened?’
After they had explained what happened, Celestia felt both worried and guilty. She had hoped that by keeping Cadence in Canterlot, she would be safe, but if the note was able to reach her, so was other danger. She wondered if she should tell Cadence the information she had been hiding from her but decided it wasn’t the best time. Celestia had another concern too; these creatures they had described sounded a lot like a group of creatures that had contributed to Pulchra’s death.
‘You two haven’t forgotten about that dinner of yours, have you?’ Fleur de Lis asked with a smile. Shining Armor and Cadence’s faces blushed slightly.
‘Is that okay with you, Auntie Tia?’ Cadence asked. Celestia gave a smile and nodded. Cadence smiled at Shining Armor, gazing into his eyes. Shining Armor smiled back at Cadence, gazing into her eyes.
‘Shall we?’ Shining Armor said. Cadence nodded, before leaning on his shoulder and gazing up at him. ‘So where would you like to go for this wonderful dinner?’ he asked. Cadence smiled again.
Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle had just finished telling Cadence how their parents had met. How Twilight, their grandmother, had introduced Twilight Velvet to Night Light and his older brother. Although Twilight had been far more interested in introducing her daughter to Night Light’s brother, famous in the Royal Guard, Twilight Velvet had been far more interested in Night Light.
Twilight Sparkle was getting a bit fidgety now without book in hoof. It was only about a month now until Twilight Sparkle would be studying under Princess Celestia. Cadence couldn’t help but feel a little miserable about this. Although she knew it was beyond the best for Twilight Sparkle, and she was very happy for her, Cadence knew that as time went on, she would be foalsitting her less and less until it would cease completely. She also knew Shining Armor would see his sister less and less, if not to the same extent.
Cadence was beginning to wonder if it had been a good idea not telling Twilight Sparkle about her and Shining Armor’s relationship; at this rate, she might not even work it out, plus, for some reason or another, they had found themselves not interacting in that way much while she was around.
‘What about your parents?’ Twilight Sparkle asked Cadence. Shining Armor scowled at his sister.
‘Be a bit sensitive, Twilie,’ Shining Armor told her, ‘Cadence’s parents are . . . no longer here . . .’
‘Where did they go?’ his sister inquired.
‘They’re gone,’ Shining Armor tried to explain as tactfully as possible, ‘and they won’t come back.’
Twilight Sparkle didn’t really understand but she didn’t ask for more explanation.
‘I just wondered how they met . . .’ Twilight Sparkle murmured, ‘and stuff like that . . .’
‘Well I do happen to know that,’ Cadence replied.
***
Although alicorns generally travel around, a group had settled in a small town temporarily to raise their foals, who, as immortal alicorns, took a very long time to grow up. Only one of these alicorns had a mortal foal; he was also the only stallion to settle as male alicorns, if they have an alicorn mate, normally do not stay once the foal is born. This particular stallion’s mare had been a pegasus pony who had died, so, the alicorn, whose name was Dusk, had brought his pegasus son, Clef, to this place.
There was group of alicorns who didn’t approve of those who mated with mortal ponies, and disliked the offspring even more. Unfortunately, all the adult alicorns that had settled there, except Dusk, were in this group. It would have been sensible for Clef to stay with his father at all times as he was treated with contempt by the adult alicorns and was bullied by both the mortal colts in town and all, or so he thought, the young alicorns.
But Clef just couldn’t stand being trapped alone inside all day so he would go out anyway, keeping alert, in case he needed to run away. He walked to near the edge of town, and, like many colts before him, approached a garden gate and stared.
The garden was wonderful, magnificent, beautiful, mystical, magical, but what was even more so was the young alicorn tending it. Overcome and enchanted by it all, Clef opened the gate and went into the garden. Delightful smells came wafting from the flowers and other plants. They seemed so fresh and new.
He was so unaware of what he was really doing that he bumped right into the young mare who jumped and gave a small scream. She looked very scared. Clef suddenly came to his senses.
‘Oh my gosh!’ Clef cried, panicked and feeling guilty, ‘I’m so so sorry!’
‘Sure!’ the alicorn snapped, ‘that’s what they all say!’
‘Please, I truly am!’ Clef insisted, ‘If there’s anything I can do . . !’
‘They all say that too!’ the alicorn retorted, ‘before they start pressurizing me to go out to dinner with them or something! They only like me because of the way I look!’
Clef felt desperately sorry for her; he could see that she was angry, and why, but could also see that she felt intimidated and frightened, was sad, and, although she seemed to like her own company, was very lonely. Perhaps she was more like a mortal pony than most alicorns were.
‘Please,’ Clef began, ‘I didn’t mean to upset you, I would never have come in if I thought you would be, I don’t know why I did come in! Please, I just want to make you feel better! If beating me up would make you feel better please do it!’
The alicorn was close to tears, but the reason for it was unclear. For a few moments, there was only silence.
‘You’re . . .’ the alicorn said slowly, ‘you’re not like the others . . . are you?’
Curious, and shaking slightly, she moved closer to him. She was a lot taller than him, if she had been mortal, she would have been a bit older than he was. She gave a sniff.
‘You’ve stepped in the lavender patch,’ she told him, ‘you smell lovely!’ She gave a small smile. ‘What is your name?’ she asked timidly.
‘It’s Clef,’ he replied, ‘may I ask yours?’
‘It’s Pulchra. I think I’m going to like you, Clef.’ She seemed sad.
‘Are you okay?’ Clef asked.
‘It’s just that, well, you’re mortal,’ Pulchra explained, ‘you will die. I don’t want you to die, Clef! I’ve met all the ponies in this town one way or another, and I would never want to be friends with any of them, but you . . . you’re different from them, in a good way. You don’t like me just because of how I look do you?’
‘Your appearance on the outside is a reflection of what you are on the inside, you have a beautiful soul.’ Clef’s face went very red.
He didn’t know where his answer had come from. It seemed to have come blurting out of no-where. It was hard to see, because of her color, but Pulchra was blushing. There was a moment of silence in which Clef noticed that most of the plants were gold, silver and pale pink, matching Pulchra’s mane and tail colors and the colors of the flowers on her cutie mark.
‘You know,’ said Clef carefully, ‘those who die never truly die as long as they live in your memory.’
Pulchra smiled, her big, silver eyes bright; the gold markings on her body almost seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. Pulchra was about to say something when they both heard an angry yell. They turned to see Pulchra’s mother galloping over enraged.
‘Get away from my daughter, you low life . . .’
‘Leave him alone!’ Pulchra shouted.
‘You shouldn’t be associated with ponies like him!’ her mother retorted angrily, before chasing Clef, who ran away as fast as he could.
***
‘So what happened?’ Twilight Sparkle asked.
‘Well,’ Cadence began, ‘Mother was forced to meet Father in secret. She was able to discourage the bullying, he was able to discourage other colts from annoying her. One day though, she came to where Father lived with a small bag full of her possessions. Her mother had found out from various sources about their relationship and was planning for them to move the next day. Mother had packed her things and had sneaked out of the window. She wanted Father to run away with her so they could be together. He agreed immediately and told his father what he was doing. He understood. Neither of them saw their parents again. Father died not long after I was born, and gave me the first part of my name, which may be why Mother often referred to me by it.’
‘That was sweet!’ said Twilight Sparkle, ‘I wish I knew a couple of ponies like that!’
Shining Armor and Cadence struggled not to laugh. Once Twilight Sparkle realized how late it was, she rushed off to do some studying.
‘I’m sorry about your parents, Cadence,’ Shining Armor told her.
‘It’s alright,’ Cadence responded a little sadly, ‘maybe it’s for the best. I mean, Mother was often so miserable without Father. If she hadn’t died, she’d probably have been like that for a very long time, and Father would have died at some point anyway.’
Shining Armor put a foreleg around her. Cadence smiled, blushing slightly.
‘Besides,’ Cadence continued, ‘If they hadn’t died, I would never have come here and met you!’
Shining Armor smiled back.
‘Hey!’ They looked up to see that Twilight Sparkle had decided to come back, ‘can I have a hug too?’
Auntie Tia’s not going to be very happy with me when I get back, Cadence thought as she raced along, that was if she got back. She had just come back from foalsitting Chilly Puddle and Felix, telling them a story about Robin Hoof of Trottingham and his merry mares, when she had seen some of the Royal Guard returning from an expedition. She had thought Shining Armor had been with them but it seemed he hadn’t been.
Curious, Cadence listened into their conversation with Celestia. She soon discovered that their plan, they didn’t give any details about it or what or why, had gone vitally wrong, and all of them, except Shining Armor, had been captured. Shining Armor had then proceeded to rescue the others, but had got himself captured in the process.
Determined to rescue him, Cadence had hurriedly snuck into the room where the guards planned their strategies, found out the location, and rushed off at a high speed.
She was nearing the location now. She could see a very large dead tree sprawled across the ground. There was a small hole close by that looked like an entry point she could just fit through, however, it would not make for a quick exit, Shining Armor probably couldn’t fit through it and it was impossible to see where it led. It could be some sort of trap and she doubted the creatures, or ponies, or whatever it was that lived here would be able to fit through it.
Cadence looked around carefully for another entrance close by. She was about to look further away when she noticed an engraving of a couple of doors on the dead tree. She gave a light push and the engravings became real doors which opened slowly with a slightly creaky sound. She took a deep breath and walked through them.
It was very light and the solid walls were bright white. It almost hurt Cadence’s eyes and she was almost panicked by the lack of places to hide, luckily, she didn’t meet any of the creatures that lived there, but she did see them.
They had a vaguely pony shape but seemed to be somewhere between solid and liquid, sort of like clouds, Cadence thought, they almost seemed to be floating, their hooves did touch the ground as they walked but they didn’t seem to need to. Their black, round eyes, except for a small white line, contrasted with their white bodies; their manes and tails, which for the majority seemed to be white too, moved in a wind that wasn’t there.
It wasn’t long before Cadence found Shining Armor who was tied to a wall by some plant life. When Shining Armor saw Cadence, he was both surprised and frightened.
‘Cadence,’ Shining Armor said in a worried tone, remembering the last time she had gone to rescue somepony, ‘you shouldn’t have come.’
‘I had to,’ Cadence replied shyly, looking at the ground with a small, embarrassed smile on her face, before hurrying over and casting a spell which snapped the plants.
‘Let’s hurry,’ Shining Armor told her, ‘they’ll be back any minute!’
Cadence nodded nervously. They both quickly hurried back the way Cadence had come, unfortunately, they attracted the attention of a couple of the creatures who immediately raised the alarm. As they galloped, more creatures joined the chase; Shining Armor managed to knock away any that were too close to them.
‘Maybe I should distract them,’ Cadence suggested breathlessly.
‘There are too many of them,’ Shining Armor responded, knowing that these creatures would be equally interested in catching both of them and that they might try to use Cadence to get information out of him, ‘besides,’ he added, ‘look what nearly happened last time you . . .’
He stopped. He felt guilty. It had been rather insensitive to remind her. Cadence’s face had gone slightly pale.
‘I’m sorry,’ Shining Armor puffed, ‘I shouldn’t have said that.’
‘I have nightmares about it,’ Cadence admitted, thinking that maybe all the danger she had been in was getting to her.
The two ponies increased their speed, bashed through the small group of creatures at the entrance and raced into the grass. They were soon met by ten ponies from the Royal Guard who had been sent by Celestia to track down Cadence and Shining Armor and who sent the creatures who had continued to give chase, into retreat.
*
Celestia was not at all pleased with Cadence.
‘It’s one thing for trouble to keep finding you,’ came Celestia’s stern tone, ‘but it’s another to go out looking for it on impulse!’
‘But I had to . . .’ Cadence murmured.
‘Didn’t it occur to you that I would send some of the Royal Guard in to get Shining Armor out!’
‘They may have got captured too!’ Cadence responded, her anger rising, ‘And it may have taken too long!’
‘As it was, I had to send some after both of you,’ Celestia told her, getting more angry too, ‘don’t you think they were more likely to be captured trying to get both of you out! And what if you’d got yourself captured! These creatures may be a threat to Equestria! Do you want to help them!’
‘All I wanted to do was help Shining Armor before anything happened to him!’ Cadence shouted.
‘What you did was stupid!’ Celestia retorted, receiving a glare that Cadence had only given to the goblins, Goody Four-Shoes and Raven Mocker before. If Celestia hadn’t been so angry, she would have known that she had already crossed the line. ‘No-pony with any sense would have done such a foalish thing especially without telling anypony! Are you trying to end up like you par- . !’
Celestia stopped, realizing she was going way too far, but she had stopped too late for there to be any doubt about what she had been about to say. There was silence. Cadence didn’t say a word. She slowly gave her aunt a cold and hurt look, before turning away and walking off, making a big effort to hide her tears.
Celestia felt immensely guilty and desperately regretted what she had said, especially when she realized, because she had so busy recently, partly due to Twilight Sparkle’s gradual transition from living at home and Celestia teaching her, that this had been the first major conversation she had had with Cadence for some time.
It had been bad enough for Cadence that she seemed to be losing Twilight Sparkle, but recently, it had seemed that she was almost replacing Cadence. Shining Armor hurried after her.
*
‘I was too harsh on her . . .’ Celestia was saying to a servant with a sigh, ‘I made a big mistake.’
‘She does seem to have become slightly defiant recently,’ the servant commented, ‘and, if I may say, being tough on her is likely to make it worse.’
‘Love does make you do crazy things, you know,’ the servant added. Shining Armor entered the room.
‘I want to speak to you about Cadence,’ Shining Armor told Celestia.
‘I suppose you’ve come to tell me I was too harsh on her too,’ said Celestia sadly.
‘Well, you were,’ Shining Armor replied quietly, ‘but that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.’
Celestia was slightly surprised.
‘It’s partly about those creatures too,’ Shining Armor continued, ‘they were planning to try to torture information out of me about our defense system, so it does seem they are quite a threat. I know their leader is female, but I didn’t meet her, I met her second hoof pony though, if they consider themselves ponies. They seem to be able to do various things; they have some degree of control over plant life and some can turn into another animal. At least some of their power comes from some sort of crystal. The point I was going to make about Cadence is that those creatures won’t be happy that I got away and they never forget a pony once they’ve seen them. I think Cadence may be in more danger from them than the rest of us, especially if their leader happened to see her.’
Celestia felt even more guilty now, knowing that if she did try to tell Cadence that she might be in danger, she probably wouldn’t listen to her, and if she forced Cadence into safety, the result could be dire, probably ending up in Cadence putting herself in danger.
Celestia regretted her words even more as she had gradually begun to realize that, in Cadence’s position and at Cadence’s age, she probably would have done the same impulsive thing she had done. Celestia knew she had been far, far too harsh and the irony was that she had been so harsh because she was worried about Cadence’s safety.
*
‘I will have her!’ the empress said in a slow, sinister tone.
‘But won’t she be affected like the others?’ the second in command asked, ‘I mean, isn’t she in the age range?’
‘She may be in the age range, Arion,’ the empress replied, smiling slightly, ‘but like her dear mother, she is an alicorn; she will almost certainly be immune.’
‘You don’t seem to mind,’ Arion (who had a pale green mane and tail) commented.
‘It’s so much more . . . personal this way . . .’ the empress responded in the same tone, but the illusion of fire dancing in her eyes gave away her excitement, ‘and so much more . . . deserving . . .’
‘You seem confident,’ Arion (who was renowned for his speed) said.
‘I am confident that that filly will be like her mother in more than one way very soon,’ the empress replied, an unpleasant smile plastered across her face, showing orange teeth, ‘I am confident that, once the first stage of the operation is complete, the first thing I’m going to do is take that princess’s soul!’
Gone! They were all gone! This didn’t make sense, and what was even odder was that they must have disappeared late the previous night, or, early that morning. It could not be coincidence that so many, and within a certain age boundary, had gone. And it was certain all who were in that age range had gone. It was so precise that the exact age cut off point could be easily worked out.
All those old enough to walk and talk, to those who were roughly in their early teens, were the ones that had vanished. One of the servants quickly found out from a book that a similar thing had happened before in at least two places, but no-pony ever seemed to have found out what happened to the foals and the details were also very vague. A large amount of search parties had already gone out but no-pony so far had been found.
*
Cadence gave a yawn. The first thing she remembered when she had woken up was how much of a comfort Shining Armor had been to her the previous night, when he had eventually found her in a bush, contemplating running away due to her negative state of mind. She was in that same bush now; it seemed that she had been so tired that after Shining Armor had had to return home, telling her she should go back to the castle, she had fallen asleep.
It was late morning now and Cadence noticed, to her surprise, that quite a few pixie ponies, who normally only came out at night, were hovering around. Once they noticed Cadence, however, they scurried away. Not because they were particularly frightened of her, but because they felt rather vulnerable, not being used to the daylight. Cadence gave a small sigh; she had hoped they might be able to tell her what the occasion was, for they wouldn’t just come out during the day for no reason.
Cadence climbed out of the bush and quickly headed for the small river, maybe the seaponies would know; she wasn’t very keen on the idea of meeting anypony, especially not Celestia who would probably still be very angry with her, and angrier still that she hadn’t returned to the castle the previous night.
Quite a few adult seaponies were on the surface of the water. Cadence asked a mare what was going on.
‘All the land foals have disappeared,’ the seapony replied, ‘vanished overnight. Some of the older fillies and colts have gone too. You must be older than you look.’
‘Why?’ Cadence asked, slowly taking in what she had been told, and thinking about all those poor foals.
‘Well, if you were the age you look,’ the seapony told her, ‘you would be among those who have disappeared.’
The seapony dived under the water, leaving Cadence, who had once been told she was a little tall for her age, puzzled. She shrugged it off. She had to think what to do. All the adult ponies would surely know by now what had happened, the question was how, why and who. The hardest was the reason why, and how it had been done was quite difficult, but the ones who were responsible was a different matter.
Cadence knew who the most likely culprits were. Those creatures that had captured Shining Armor were the ones who were probably responsible. First, they didn’t know much about those creatures other than they had bad intentions, which made it seem like this was something they would do and no-pony, as far as Cadence knew, knew what powers these creatures possessed but there was also the fact that Celestia thought they might be a threat to Equestria.
Cadence paused for a moment. If Celestia thought they might be a threat to Equestria, there was a strong possibility that the foals’ disappearing was the first stage in a plan to take over. But why take foals in the first place?
Foals did not pose any particular threat and it would take a very long time for the ponies to die out if that’s what they were aiming at, perhaps they were holding them for ransom? No, everypony would know by now. Perhaps the disappearances were supposed to be a distraction or something? But what were they supposed to be a distraction from?
She would find out for herself what was going on and stop it herself if she had to. She galloped off in the direction of the main part of the city, determined to set things right. Maybe she should try and find out about these creatures from a book, perhaps that one she had taken to read the day she had met those goblins. She gave a small shudder. She thought that that book was probably somewhere in her room.
Cadence was so deep in thought that she didn’t really notice where she was going and crashed into a group of ponies, mainly consisting of mothers who had lost their foals, heading in the opposite direction to her.
‘Cadence!’ came the voice of Princess Celestia, ‘you’re okay!’
Before Cadence knew what was happening, and to her surprise, she found herself in Celestia’s tight embrace.
‘I was so worried!’ Celestia continued, a little breathlessly, ‘I thought that those creatures must have taken you like the others but then I saw your bed was unslept in and I wondered if something else had happened to you or if you’d been taken specifically, or . . .’
Cadence scowled slightly. She wasn’t quite ready to be forgiving, especially without an apology. Celestia hesitated, then, let go of Cadence. There was silence for a few moments.
‘So you worked out it was those creatures, did you?’ asked Cadence a little coldly.
‘Well, yes,’ Celestia responded, a little taken a back, ‘we also think it’s likely the foals were in some kind of trance which would explain why so many disappeared, and why it was those between certain ages.’
‘Why didn’t I disappear then?’ Cadence inquired.
‘Probably because you’re an alicorn,’ Celestia responded, ‘alicorns are immune to certain things.’
‘Shouldn’t the little princess go back to the castle?’ suggested Serviet’s mother.
‘Where are you going?’ Cadence asked.
‘To rescue the foals,’ Celestia told her, ‘we’re headed for where those creatures are living.’
‘I’m coming with you,’ Cadence stated.
‘What!’ exclaimed Serviet’s mother, ‘it’s not safe!’
Celestia hesitated, bearing in mind what Shining Armor had told her, knowing that the relationship between her and Cadence would be made worse if she sent her away, at least if she did come along she’d be able to keep an eye on her and protect her, not to mention that if she did send Cadence away, Cadence would probably defy her. But it was so dangerous . . .
‘Do you even know where you’re going?’ Cadence inquired, ‘none of the Royal Guard are with you.’
That was true, and they did only vaguely know where they were going. Most of the Royal Guard had gone out very early in the morning for a large amount of the day, returning just before the Grand Galloping Gala that evening, before the crisis was discovered and none of those remaining could be spared from guarding the castle and the rest of the city.
‘I’m probably the only one available who knows how to get there,’ Cadence added.
‘Alright, Cadence,’ said Celestia with a small sigh, ‘you can come, but make sure you stay close.’
‘It’s Princess Celestia’s decision,’ Twilight Velvet told Serviet’s mother who looked like she was about to argue.
‘Okay then,’ said Cadence brightly with a small, satisfied smile.
Celestia kept a very close eye on Cadence as they walked along and was constantly on the lookout for danger. Celestia knew that it was far from Cadence’s fault that she attracted trouble wherever she went but the fact was she did and it could come from anywhere at any time. Cadence knew that this was one way she was like her father: she wouldn’t let herself be kept from going out and getting involved even if there was a risk in doing it. Besides, no-pony else could have particular bad intentions towards her? It had happened too much recently for it to happen again anytime soon, maybe even for the rest of her life.
Princess Celestia looked worried about her, as Cadence noticed. Was she being overprotective, or was she keeping a close watch so she wouldn’t run off, or, perhaps . . . There wasn’t something that Celestia knew but hadn’t told Cadence, was there?
When they reached the spot, Cadence noticed that the small hole had been made slightly bigger. She pointed this out and also said that the hole was almost certainly the way the foals had got in. Cadence showed them where the main entrance was but the doors wouldn’t open.
‘We will have to find another way in,’ Celestia told them.
She sounded worried, and Cadence knew why: finding another entrance could take ages and it was likely all the other entrances, if there were any, had been made inaccessible, except . . .
Cadence stared at the hole, the hole she knew she could easily fit through. She hesitated. Those foals could be dying in there with only a few moments left to live, or being tortured, or . . .
While the adults weren’t looking, and continued to walk, Cadence slipped through the hole.
Cadence could hardly see a thing as she moved carefully along. She could only vaguely see her hooves as she placed one in front of the other. At first, the only thing she could hear was her hooves as she walked, but then, she became aware of the sound of a few voices up ahead. She wasn’t close enough to work out what they were saying though. As she began to see light, the voices faded away.
She took a deep breath and cautiously looked into the chamber she was in. She must’ve been heading a lot more downhill than she had thought, either that, or some sort of magic had been performed on the chamber as it was very large overall and the ceiling was very high.
The chamber seemed to have multiple levels with small rock paths, only just rough enough to use, leading to various large platforms at different heights which had different purposes, and some which had entrances to other areas. The walls, unlike the ones she had seen before, seemed to be made up of rock and crystal.
At the center of the chamber was a large, white crystal, at least, it was large in comparison with all the other, ordinary crystals Cadence had seen at this point in her life. The foals were all standing very close together around the crystal and seemed to be attracted to it somehow. The crystal was being held up by three sharp pieces of rock which formed a sort of tripod.
It was hard to see, and Cadence couldn’t quite put her hoof on it, but there seemed to be something else a bit odd about the foals besides the fact they were attracted to the crystal. Some of their hooves were a bit raggedy; the body and hair colors of others were a bit faded. Were these creatures stealing away their color or something? Cadence had heard of a creature that did that but it was not likely to be the case here as that was not the whole problem.
Should she risk getting a closer look at the poor foals, a large amount of whom she had foalsat at least once? She looked around swiftly. None of those creatures were in sight but she knew some could arrive at any moment. She swiftly approached the back of the group. She forced Soarin’, a colt not much younger than her, to turn his head. Cadence stared.
He hadn’t aged, and nor had the others as they hadn’t become taller or changed appearance in that way, but he looked so old. His youth was gone almost entirely. Cadence also noticed that his eyes were wide and clouded over. The crystal was sucking all the youth out of those affected by it. Cadence now realized what Shining Armor had realized some time ago, once the youth was completely drained, the foals would die, as if of old age.
Shining Armor had awoken very early that morning to go out with the other Royal Guards for most of the day, however, he had awoken at the time the foals, or, at least, Twilight Sparkle, had been affected, and he had decided to follow her. He had managed to remain unnoticed by the creatures, and, once they had gone, he had tried every spell he could think of in an attempt to destroy the crystal but none of them had worked. He was now standing close to his sister, very deep in thought.
If he hadn’t been so deep in thought, he probably would have noticed that Cadence was there. As he was near the front, looking forward and slouching so that he was less likely to be noticed, Cadence didn’t realize he was there either. Of course, her own worry, thinking hard, and the fact that, like everypony else, she thought that Shining Armor had left with the other guards that morning, didn’t help.
Cadence suddenly realized, too late, that she shouldn’t be just standing there thinking in the open. She turned back towards the hole to find her path blocked. The fact that she had been able to turn away from the crystal, left no doubt that she wasn’t under its influence.
Cadence stared at the creature fearfully; the creature watched her with a small smile on his face, but at the same time, looked a bit shocked and confused. The creature slowly moved closer, Cadence backed away towards one of the rock paths.
‘What’s going on down there?’ asked a voice. A number of creatures were now appearing around the chamber. Arion was the one who had spoken.
‘I’m not sure, sir,’ the creature in front of Cadence replied.
Arion was next to him within a few seconds. He looked at Cadence and gave a nasty smile. Cadence turned and ran blindly up the path. Two thoughts went through her head as she ran. First, that that second creature seemed to know something that she didn’t, and then . . . Why wasn’t she being followed?
Suddenly, Cadence crashed into something. Something quite tall and thin, with rather hairy hooves. The shapes of the bones showed very evidently from under the skin, if it was skin; and the mane and tail were very reminiscent of flames. Cadence’s eyes were wide. The empress was thrilled.
‘What a lovely surprise!’ the empress exclaimed, watching Cadence with a gleeful expression, ‘I would have set up a trap if I’d thought you’d be back so soon.’
‘So you’re in charge here!’ Cadence said, a little shakily, in a defiant tone, ‘Give those foals back their youth and let them go right now!’
Shining Armor was unable to resist the urge to turn his head any longer. He was horrified to find his suspicions and fears were correct. He had overheard earlier what the empress was planning and knew that Cadence had got herself into the worst possible position. He felt awful. He knew there was no way he could help her.
If he had been a pegasus pony, he might have stood a chance, but as a unicorn, he would have to struggle out of the group of foals, fight a large amount of the creatures that were in the chamber, which he strongly doubted he could do completely alone, get up the path, and not to mention that he would be noticed as soon as he tried to move. There was also the fact that he might have made things worse for her even if he hadn’t been completely helpless, and it could still happen in any case if he was noticed. What if they tried to use him to force Cadence to give in?
The empress laughed at Cadence.
‘I don’t think so,’ the empress replied, ‘and I don’t think you’re in any position to be making demands, Cadenza!’
‘How do you know my name?’ Cadence asked a little anxiously. The empress gave a superior smirk.
‘I know much more than that, my darling. Your mother called you ‘Mi Amore’ most of the time, for example.’
‘You knew my mother!’ Cadence gasped.
‘I know your mother,’ the empress responded with a broad grin, ‘I was the one who finished her off!’
Cadence glared furiously, tears pricking her eyes.
‘You were supposed to go the same way, Cadenza,’ the empress continued, ‘but you somehow managed to escape. I’ve been looking for you everywhere I went. I didn’t realize you were here until yesterday. What a piece of luck . . .’
‘What do you want here!’ Cadence demanded, ‘why are you stealing all the foals’ youth!’
The empress seemed almost complimented by the questions.
‘It’s really quite simple, Cadenza,’ the empress began, her flame-like hair seeming to flicker, ‘the youth from the foals acts as nourishment and makes us powerful which will aid us in taking Equestria. When it comes to those who haven’t been affected and died from their youth being drained, we gain power by stealing their souls.’
Cadence stared in horror.
‘I’ll be taking yours first, princess!’ the empress sneered, enjoying the impact it was having. ‘You’ll be nothing but a trapped ghostly spirit for all eternity, just like your dear mother!’
‘Where is she!’ Cadence cried, ‘what have you done with my mother!’
‘Don’t worry, Cadenza,’ the empress told her with a small snigger, ‘you’ll soon be joining her! Hoof yourself over now or I’ll make it more painful. The procedure is very delicate after all . . .’
She tried to grab the filly but Cadence jumped out of the way.
‘You’re only putting off the inevitable, Cadenza, give yourself up!’ the empress snarled.
‘Not likely!’ Cadence retorted. She turned and ran through an entrance, into a corridor.
‘I do love chases!’ the empress said to herself with a smile, before pursuing Cadence who was determined not to be caught.
She was so unlikely to be rescued it wasn’t even worth considering it a possibility and it was very likely she was the foals’ only hope. She was certainly her mother’s only hope. If she couldn’t save herself, there was no way she could save them, and if the foals couldn’t be saved, Equestria, and everypony in it, was almost certainly doomed.
She didn’t know where she was going. All she knew was that she had to keep running and not be caught under any circumstances. She considered it her own good luck that that creature with incredible speed had not been sent after her or she would already be in their clutches. She thought hard.
She knew she didn’t have much time. That crystal! She had to break it! That was where the creatures were getting their power from and that was the only way to save the foals! The question was how could it be broken? Very few spells she had learned had any destructive qualities, so it was very unlikely that any magic she performed could cause it to break. It would be ideal to break it, and it might contain more of their power, they might even keep it all there, but was there any way that the foals’ youth could be freed without breaking it?
When the creatures’ hooves touched the ground, they made no sound. This silence, to a certain extent, made things more frightening for Cadence, for she had no way of telling, unless she turned her head, which she was too scared to do, how close the creature pursuing her was. She could be grabbed at any moment. Cadence forced back fearful tears and raced on.
One thing was for sure, she needed to get back to that chamber if she was ever going to have the chance to break that crystal. Could she find a way to head back the way she had come? She doubted it, and it would be rather risky. There had been other entrances in that chamber leading to other areas; perhaps if she could find one of those . . . But by that time she would probably have already needed to figure out a way to break the crystal. Knocking it off its stand was very unlikely to break it and she doubted, even if she had been strong enough to lift it, that from quite a height it could be broken.
Cadence suddenly felt panicked and took to her wings. Her instincts had been right. As she took flight, she dared to look behind. The empress had tried to grab her; Cadence had only just evaded her grasp. Cadence was relieved, but also felt a little annoyed with herself, her fear of turning to look behind her had almost been her undoing. She needed to keep looking behind in order to pace herself.
Cadence also quickly realized that she should only take to the air to rest her hooves or to evade capture, and not stay there too long if she did. She had noticed that she had generally weak wings, whether it was due to being a mortal alicorn, or because she didn’t use her wings much, she might work out later.
Cadence had worked out one thing though, most of the place these creatures lived in, was reinforced by walls which were made of something hard like brick, and had been painted white. There may be other things painted on the wall, such as the white crystal itself, (but nothing about it, Cadence had noticed with a sigh) and there was the occasional pipe or something, however, in that chamber, and the area near to it, the walls were made of rock and crystal. Once she saw traces of that, she would know which way to go.
The adults were probably still trying to find a way in, and with these creatures getting more powerful every moment, time was running out.
Cadence may have felt a little annoyed with herself, but that was nothing compared with how the empress was feeling. She was getting rather bored with chasing her victim around now, and was beginning to feel ever so slightly worried that the filly was more capable of ruining her plans than she had previously thought.
It was all very frustrating. The filly’s fear wasn’t enough anymore, she wanted to, no, needed to hurt her. At least a few screams would improve her mood a bit.
Cadence turned her head to see the creature sending dark blue magic towards her through her eyes. Cadence jumped out of the way just in time. The beams of magic hit one of the walls, creating a large crack in it. Cadence gasped. If that magic could do that to the wall, what could it do to her?
Cadence could barely watch where she was going. She had to keep watching the magic that was being aimed at her. Not only would that magic do something horrible to her if it hit her, but there was no doubt that if it did hit her, that creature would catch her. She was simple too close, and the magic would be too effective to give Cadence any chance of escaping. And if she was caught, Cadence knew she wouldn’t be able to escape, the creature was simply too powerful.
As Cadence turned a corner, she saw the walls beginning to change, she was nearing the chamber. She raced down the corridors, watching the walls, which were now showing her where to go.
Cadence turned into a side corridor just before some magic was about to hit her. Cadence had noticed that as the creature became more powerful, and more angry, the magic became more powerful, however, when the magic hit the crystal areas of the walls, it both smashed them and reflected off them. Cadence was rather surprised, and glad she hadn’t been in that corridor when it happened.
The empress had evidently been surprised too for she hadn’t noticed where Cadence had gone. Cadence stood by the wall in the corridor she had turned into, thinking and trying to catch her breath.
‘There’s no point in hiding, princess,’ came the empress’s chilling tone, ‘I can easily find you, I can smell your soul, I can almost taste it . . .’
Cadence knew what she had to do, she just hoped there was still time. She had to do it, she had to be brave. She poked her head round into the corridor.
‘If your sense of smell is so good,’ Cadence shouted, ‘how come you haven’t noticed that your breath stinks?’
The empress growled furiously.
‘Why you little . . !’
‘What are you waiting for, slow poke!’ Cadence continued, trying to ignore the gnashing teeth and the ferocious tone of the empress, ‘come and get me!’
Cadence turned and ran as fast as she could.
*
Shining Armor deeply regretted not doing anything. He knew he could’ve made things worse but how much worse could they possibly be compared to now. Cadence had run for it and he had done nothing. That creature probably had Cadence’s soul by now. And he had done absolutely nothing. He knew he couldn’t have predicted what happened but he hadn’t even tried, well, maybe he had but not enough, and he should’ve.
But would Cadence have run if she had known he was there? Maybe he had done the sensible thing, maybe, whatever he had done, would have been wrong to a certain extent. But he felt so guilty. She had needed him.
Suddenly, Cadence was rushing down one of the rock paths, followed by the empress who was evidently in a rage.
‘Come on,’ Cadence yelled breathlessly, ‘give me your best shot!’
‘I’ll show you what pain is, Princess!’ the empress spat.
The rest of the creatures in the chamber stood still and looked at each other, knowing it wasn’t their place to interfere unless specifically ordered to. Cadence gasped, finding herself trapped in a corner of the room.
‘I have you now, Cadenza!’ the empress jeered.
Shining Armor wasn’t sure what to make of it. It looked like Cadence was in trouble, but she wasn’t the type to wind somepony up for no reason. Still, there was one thing he could risk doing.
‘Don’t look her in the eye!’ Shining Armor shouted.
Cadence was the only one who heard him, but she was concentrating so hard that she didn’t realize it was his voice. The creatures were too involved in the scene in front of them to notice and the empress was in too much of a passion.
Cadence looked scared, and she was, but she knew something the empress didn’t. As the empress prepared to send magic at her again, Cadence jumped up. Thinking that Cadence was about to take flight to try and escape again, the empress aimed where Cadence jumped. The magic hit the crystals on the wall at exactly the right angle.
The magic hit the crystals on the wall at exactly the right angle. The magic reflected off and hit the white crystal in the center of the chamber, breaking it in two. The empress stared at the white crystal. She stared at Cadence. Cadence gave a small smile.
Chattering could very quickly be heard as the foals woke up and their youth was restored. Shining Armor felt relieved and very impressed. Cadence suddenly felt very tired and weak but very happy. Twilight Sparkle hugged Shining Armor. The empress was furious.
A tired and weak Cadence quickly realized that she hadn’t planned for this, she had only thought as far as saving the foals. The empress still had her trapped in a corner.
‘You may have taken our youth power supply,’ the empress said in a dangerous tone, ‘but that doesn’t mean I can’t take your soul. Nor does it mean I can’t severely injure you, torture you, or maim you! And that is exactly what I am going to do!’
The empress raised a hoof. Cadence covered her face, too exhausted to defend herself. Cadence waited for the first blow, but it never came. Many of the foals already loved Cadence, but also, they didn’t know exactly what had happened, but they knew one thing, that Cadence had saved them.
Cadence looked up. Soarin’, and his very close friend, Spitfire, being very fast flyers, had been the first to reach her. They glared angrily at the empress, who was both shocked and enraged. Shining Armor arrived next, placing himself on top of Cadence protectively. All the others followed in small groups without hesitation. The empress turned her head to the other creatures in the chamber.
‘Get ready to leave,’ the empress snapped.
The foals cheered.
‘Shut up!’ the empress spat.
The foals paid no attention to her what so ever. The empress was very reluctant to leave, but she knew about the pones outside and also knew that they had been using youth power to keep the entrances inaccessible. The other ponies would easily be able to get in now. They had to leave.
‘Don’t think this is over, Cadenza, because it’s not!’ the empress sneered, her tone filled with spite and resentment, ‘I’ll be back for you and I can tell you it will be far from pleasant! And as for your mother, you’ll never find her soul! You wouldn’t be able to breathe where she is!’
With that, the empress marched off, leaving Cadence shaking slightly under Shining Armor’s warm body. The foals were jumping around and cheering, most of them having already the empress’s last words, or, at least, had not really understood what they meant.
‘Are you alright, Cadence?’ Shining Armor asked, standing up and stepping aside.
‘I’ll be alright in a moment,’ Cadence replied quietly, ‘it was you who called out earlier, wasn’t it? Why shouldn’t I look at her eyes? And why were you here in the first place?’ Cadence asked, standing up too.
‘I followed Twilight this morning,’ he explained, ‘and the eye thing, well, her power comes through her eyes but also the easiest way to the soul is through your eyes so . . .’
Cadence nodded nervously.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t help you,’ Shining Armor continued, ‘I thought, well, I thought a lot of things, that was the problem . . .’
‘It was probably best that you didn’t,’ Cadence responded, ‘considering your brief history with them.’
Shining Armor suddenly felt so much better.
‘I was really impressed with that trick of yours with the crystal!’ Shining Armor blurted out, ‘it was pretty clever and you were so brave!’
Cadence smiled and blushed severely.
‘Well, what else could I have done?’ Cadence inquired shyly.
They drew closer.
‘Hey, you two!’ It was Twilight Sparkle. ‘Are you coming or not?’
They laughed and followed her out through the hole. The first thing that Cadence saw when she got outside was Princess Celestia. Cadence gave a sigh and braced herself for a lecture.
‘Cadence,’ said Celestia, in a slightly shocked tone, ‘did you really save all the foals?’
‘Well, yes,’ Cadence replied nervously.
‘Cadence,’ Celestia began, ‘you need to be more careful and less impulsive, but . . .’ There was a moment of silence. ‘I can’t deny that I’m impressed and, I’m sorry. I was too harsh on you yesterday . . .’
Cadence was almost shocked, she hadn’t been expecting this, nor did she expect the hug she received, which she was more willing to return this time.
It was lovely to see all the foals reunited with their parents which Celestia, Shining Armor and Cadence saw a lot of as they headed towards the castle. The Royal Guards were beginning to return, anxious for news.
‘You two haven’t forgotten about enduring the Grand Galloping Gala tonight?’ Celestia asked with a small smile, ‘even an immortal alicorn like myself can’t endure it alone, you know!’
‘It’s a bit hard to forget even in the most trying of circumstances,’ Shining Armor said with a laugh, ‘believe me, I’ve tried!’
Cadence smiled, but her thoughts were on her mother, somehow, she had to find her soul.
Celestia’s thoughts were on other things too. She knew she couldn’t deny it anymore, and Cadence had to know. And Celestia would take her and tell her there, at the Union of the Alicorns.
As the Grand Galloping Gala, which had been as dull as ever, drew to a close, Princess Celestia approached her niece.
As Shining Armor had pointed out, Cadence had looked more beautiful than ever wearing her brand new dress that evening. She was sitting by a tree now talking with Shining Armor.
‘But how are you going to find it?’ Shining Armor was saying, ‘It could be anywhere!’
‘I don’t know,’ Cadence admitted, ‘but I have to.’
‘Cadence?’ came Celestia’s voice. Cadence turned her head.
‘Yes, Auntie Tia?’ Cadence replied.
‘I’d like to speak with you for a moment,’ Celestia told her. Cadence nodded before turning to Shining Armor.
‘I’ll be back soon,’ Cadence said.
Once they were a little distance off, they stopped.
‘Every so often,’ Celestia began, ‘there is a meeting known as the Union Of The Alicorns. You can guess from the name what it is. A large amount of alicorns meet up to share any news or things they have discovered. Very few alicorns will turn up to a lot of them, but it’s still the best way for alicorns to gain and give information to each other.’
‘Why are you telling me this?’ Cadence asked curiously.
‘The Union Of The Alicorns happens tomorrow,’ Celestia explained, ‘I will be attending it myself and will be leaving after I have raised the sun. I would like you to join me.’
Cadence was a little surprised but nodded slowly. She also wondered why her aunt looked a little nervous.
*
Cadence was awoken from her disturbed sleep just before sun rise. As she prepared to leave, she realized her dreams had disturbed her, but not in the usual way. They were normally frightening, but the ones she had just experienced were more haunting. She thought she had heard True Star calling her name on the wind.
She didn’t mention her dreams to Celestia when she arrived to collect her; she didn’t mention her mother’s trapped soul either.
‘How fast can you fly?’ Celestia asked.
‘Not very,’ Cadence admitted.
‘Try to keep up as best you can,’ Celestia told her, ‘but I may have to carry you some of the way.’ Cadence nodded.
It was an unusually windy morning and it didn’t help that they were both wearing saddlebags. Celestia couldn’t help but feel that something was not quite right. She looked back at Cadence, who was flying some distance behind her, knowing full well that they were flying over an empire that was no longer there.
A sudden chill was on the air and Celestia wondered if, no, it was so unlikely. She stopped and waited for Cadence to catch up.
‘How much further, Auntie Tia?’ Cadence asked, a little breathlessly.
‘It will be a while,’ Celestia replied, ‘Get on my back. I’m not sure how safe it is here.’
Celestia’s words made Cadence feel nervous, but she did as she was told. Celestia flew as fast as she could without risking Cadence falling.
‘Not long now, Cadence,’ came Celestia’s reassuring tone after a while. Up ahead, the form of another alicorn was coming into view.
‘Celestia? Is that you?’ called the voice of a mare.
‘Aquila?’ Celestia yelled back over the sound of the wind.
The other alicorn flew in their direction and came into view. Cadence felt there was something ever so slightly familiar about her.
‘Very nice to see you again, Celestia,’ Aquila said as they began to fly along together.
‘You remember my name then?’ Celestia asked with a smile.
‘One of the only things I do seem to remember,’ Aquila responded, ‘and who is your companion?’
‘This is Cadence,’ Celestia replied, ‘my niece; daughter of Pulchra.’
‘Oh, so she’s the one . . . Is Pulchra not attending herself?’ inquired Aquila.
A deadly silence followed in which Celestia’s and Cadence’s expressions were enough for Aquila to realize.
‘She’s not . . !’ Aquila began. Celestia nodded. After she had recovered from the shock, ‘Then, it’s real?’ Aquila asked, ‘Does the filly have the . . ?’
Celestia nodded again.
‘You’re certain?’ Aquila inquired nervously.
‘Most definitely,’ Celestia replied, ‘She . . .’
Celestia stopped, partly because it wasn’t the time quite yet, and because they had arrived at the meeting place, a town hall type building, which was located on some thick, and, quite fluffy, clouds. As they were flying in, Cadence suddenly felt nervous, remembering that certain group that disapproved so much of mortal offspring.
‘Don’t be scared, little one,’ said Aquila softly, ‘it will be alright.’
Cadence tried to smile. There was definitely something familiar about her, her eyes, she had seen those eyes before. As Cadence was thinking this, and overcome by all the immortal alicorns at their great height, she was unaware that she was wondering away from the two familiar adults until she bumped into somepony who turned and glared.
‘What’s this mortal filth doing here!’ the mare snarled.
Cadence backed away and bumped into a stallion who was behind her. He turned to see what was going on, quickly looking from the mare, to Cadence, and back again.
‘She has as much right to be here as anypony!’ the stallion said sternly, placing a foreleg in front of Cadence protectively.
‘Keep out of this, Dusk!’ the mare snapped, ‘that mortal creature . . !’
‘Is that any way to talk about your grandfoal? Presuming you really are Agalma, Pulchra’s mother . . .’ It was Celestia, accompanied by Aquila.
Both Agalma and Dusk stared. Dusk turned and looked down at Cadence. A joyous smile was forming on his face.
‘I have a grandfoal,’ Dusk said, half to himself, softly, ‘and what a beautiful filly!’ Agalma snorted and made an expression that was comparable to revulsion before marching off. Cadence couldn’t help but take it very personally that her grandmother was so rejecting of her. Dusk only had eyes for Cadence.
‘You have Clef’s eye color,’ he said softly, ‘and his mane colors in yours . . .’
Celestia took advantage of the silence of the other alicorns that the conversation had created.
‘Pulchra is dead,’ Celestia told the other alicorns who were very shocked, ‘she was set upon by various creatures who seem to have worked together and each gained advantages from her death.’
The other alicorns remained silent.
‘She had a daughter,’ Celestia continued, ‘a mortal alicorn, who is with me and who bears The Mark. She has attracted too much trouble for it to be possible to deny its existence. You have no reason to shun this orphaned alicorn. As I recall, this meeting is known as the Union Of The Alicorns, not the Union Of The Immortal Alicorns.’
‘Well said!’ added Aquila. Agalma snorted again and glared at Aquila.
‘At least she’s an alicorn unlike Aquila’s hopeless spawn,’ Agalma muttered loud enough for Aquila to hear, ‘look where her foal ended up.’ Aquila spun round, a savage expression on her face.
‘How dare you say a word against my True Star!’ Aquila yelled, her eyes brimming with tears, ‘it’s not her fault she was . . . well, she was . . !’
‘Ponynapped, abused and murdered!’ Cadence finished without thinking. She now knew who Aquila reminded her of, whose eyes those were: it was True Star.
‘How did you know?’ Aquila asked, her face very pale, the sound barely leaving her mouth.
Celestia quickly began to discuss safety with some of the other alicorns, while other topics were floating about. Dusk remained with his grandfoal, looking down at her rather proudly. He had known Clef was dead but never knew that he had had a foal.
‘Grandpa?’ Cadence asked. Dusk jumped in surprise. ‘What’s The Mark?’
‘Well, it’s short for The Alicorn Mark,’ he explained, ‘you get it if your alicorn parent, usually the mother, dies when you are not an adult. Of course, it’s always been more of a myth, it only happens with mortal alicorns and with the situation and mortal alicorns combined being so rare, no-pony could really test or prove its existence. It is essentially a power source and a defense mechanism, but it can have some rather major problems.’
‘But why?’ Cadence inquired, ‘and what are they?’
‘Well to start,’ said Celestia, who had just returned, with a sigh, ‘it originates as an adaptation which hasn’t really changed due to the small number of mortal alicorns and the circumstance, for example, alicorns used to live in large groups together so it would be easy to find the other alicorn who is needed to unleash the required power in a dire situation, and you could easily be protected from the trouble it brought as no creature would dare attack a whole group of alicorns.’
‘So, all the trouble I’ve had finding me . . .’ Cadence said.
‘Trouble would find you easily enough with you being as you are,’ Celestia explained, ‘but with The Mark, it’s as if you were jumping up and down shouting about it the entire time. That’s why you’ve been having so much trouble since you arrived at Canterlot.’
‘I had quite a bit of trouble while I was getting there too,’ said Cadence miserably, close to tears.
‘Don’t cry, Cadie!’ said Dusk soothingly, stroking her mane.
‘I just thought,’ Cadence began tearfully, ‘well, hoped, that it would all just go away and trouble would stop finding me, but now . . !’
‘That’s why I didn’t tell you before,’ Celestia admitted, ‘I didn’t want you to be worried and frightened, but you need to be aware.’
‘If you’ve coped this long,’ Dusk said, ‘you will continue to cope. Be a brave little filly for Grandpa!’
Cadence managed to smile. Celestia and Dusk were called away for a few minutes, and Cadence sat alone until Aquila spotted her, hesitated, and then came and sat next to her. She still looked a bit pale. For a few moments, there was only silence.
‘What was True Star like?’ Cadence asked curiously and cautiously.
‘She was . . .’ Aquila began slowly, ‘very shy, but brave and determined, self-less, clever, loving, considerate, empathetic, compassionate.’ Aquila took a moment to pull, and keep, herself together. ‘She was so beautiful,’ Aquila continued, ‘but, I guess, that was her downfall really, too pretty for her own good. So ironic too that she did get married before, but it was then found not to be legal. She was going to get married for real the day after she disappeared. I think he knew.’ Cadence nodded. ‘I thought she was safe, so I went off for a number of months. It wasn’t until I returned that I . . .’
Aquila couldn’t hold it in any longer.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have asked!’
‘She didn’t deserve it,’ came Aquila’s voice through her tears, ‘none of them did, and neither do you! That’s how you knew isn’t it? You’re too pretty for your own good too!’
Cadence felt rather guilty for asking, but, at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel that Aquila had wanted her to ask.
‘Well, at least, she’s at peace now after all she went through,’ Aquila said more calmly, ‘Dusk told me so.’
‘How would he know?’ Cadence asked.
‘He can see into the minds of the dead,’ Aquila explained, ‘he can tell whether they’re at peace or not, and often why, that’s his special talent.’
‘You can’t send a mortal alicorn filly in to deal with it when you don’t even know what the problem is!’ came Dusk’s furious tone.
‘She’s the Crystal Princess!’ retorted another alicorn, 'It’s her job to deal with whatever it is that is bothering the town!’
‘And what if it is him!’ to everypony’s surprise, Agalma shouted, ‘he’ll probably . . !’ She stopped, realizing what she was saying.
‘And she has The Mark!’ Dusk yelled back at the other alicorn, ‘and she’s not even old enough to hold the title officially! She has to be a mare and/or be married before she can!’
‘It’s probably just Veneficia playing a practical joke or something . . .’ the other alicorn replied in an irritated, but slightly awkward tone.
‘We all know that’s unlikely!’ Dusk snapped, ‘And if it is Veneficia, it would be so dangerous, you know what she’s like! And what if it’s as Agalma said and it really is . . .’
The conversation went back to normal volume level and ended not long after.
‘What’s the Crystal Princess?’ Cadence asked Aquila, who looked surprised.
‘You don’t know about the Crystal Empire?’ Aquila inquired. Cadence shook her head. ‘Not about how it disappeared? The curse? The king? Anything?’ Cadence shook her head again.
Dusk and Celestia were returning now, having a whispered conversation.
‘If he did,’ Celestia was saying, ‘it would be when the empire returned, but he shouldn’t in any case, but my concern is the whole . . .’
‘Shadow thing?’ Dusk asked.
‘We were too impulsive in choice,’ Celestia replied, ‘probably should have done the same as with Discord. It could be quite easy for a shadow to . . .’
‘There was an empire known as the Crystal Empire,’ Celestia began quickly, ‘the crystal ponies there were, and still are, very important to stability in certain areas, including Equestria. The empire itself disappeared and it is not known exactly when it will return.’
‘What’s this got to do with me?’ Cadence asked.
‘A group of crystal ponies, uh, were living, uh, outside the empire at the time, and now their descendants including mixes with unicorns, pegasus, earth and flutter ponies live in a town. There are also a few who are their friends and some others who are not descended from the escapees.’
‘Escapees?’ Cadence inquired.
‘There isn’t time to fully explain,’ Celestia continued hurriedly, ‘I’m keeping it simple.’
‘The crystal princess issue is not straight forward,’ Dusk told Cadence, ‘but essentially you were born for the honor, being a mortal alicorn and your grandmother being a crystal pony, ideal in fact. The news of your birth must have quickly reached the remaining crystal ponies.’
‘The empire may be gone, but the remaining crystal ponies still feel strongly connected to it, despite the fact their coats can’t be totally as they should be,’ Celestia said, ‘There seems to be at least a little trouble from what can be sensed over the area the town is supposed to be. The previous crystal prince or princess put a spell on the town so only crystal ponies, and those who crystal ponies let, can see where it is for, um, protection and emergency purposes.’
‘So I’m needed to actually get into the town, and it is my responsibility to protect the remaining crystal ponies?’ Cadence inquired. Celestia nodded.
‘We must leave immediately,’ Celestia said.
Dusk and Aquila looked at each other and nodded before adding that they were coming too. Dusk turned to Cadence and held out something which looked like a watch but with a large face and a thin strap.
‘You can use this to contact me when you need me,’ he explained, ‘you just speak into it and I will be able to talk back. I’m going to tie it into your hair ribbon. It will stay attached until you touch it, it also won’t be visible and you won’t be able to feel the weight or inconvenience of it either until you touch it.’
‘Thank you, Grandpa.’ Cadence replied.
Dusk smiled, obviously feeling very happy each time she referred to him as that. On reaching the door, it became evident that it was even more windy outside than before. The four of them raised their wings, ready to take flight.
The wind was roaring and Cadence was struggling to fly forward at all. It seemed like the closer they got, the worse the weather was. They were aiming to land close to where the edge of the empire had used to be, and then search from there, with hope that Cadence might be able to sense something. The other three alicorns were struggling too, but not nearly as much as Cadence was because they were so much bigger and much stronger flyers.
‘I think we may be close!’ Aquila shouted over the roaring wind.
‘We need to start slowly lowering ourselves to at least get a better view!’ Celestia hollered back.
This was a lot more difficult than it sounded. It was difficult enough to go forward, never mind going downwards at a slow speed while preparing to land. Cadence had never done this before in normal conditions. When she flew, she generally stayed quite close to the ground and even when she didn’t stay particularly close, she made swift landings, not gradual ones.
The wind was causing her to lose balance, and with another blast of wind, she was spun around, thrown off course, and began to plummet towards the ground. So very hard she tried to stop herself from falling and to get into the flight position. She flapped her wings violently, desperately, but the wind whipped her around too much for her to be able to maintain a useful position for more than a few seconds even though she managed to get in the right position quite a few times.
She was going to hit the ground.
*
‘Glory! Sundance!’ shouted a flutter crystal pony, ‘You’d better come over here!’
‘What is it, Sparkler!’ came the slightly hysterical tone of Glory, a horned crystal pony, ‘Is it him! Is he . . ?’
‘Very unlikely, Glory,’ came the voice of the third crystal pony, Sundance, ‘just as unlikely as it was last time,’ she sighed, ‘and the time before.’ She turned to Sparkler, who was hovering anxiously. ‘What’s the urgency?’ she asked calmly.
‘I’m not exactly sure,’ Sparkler replied, gesturing towards a quite big mound of soft earth which had been disturbed.
Sundance went over to look for herself. Glory hung back anxiously. Sundance brushed some of the dirt off with a light hoof. She jumped back and gave a shocked gasp. Seeing what Sundance was seeing, Sparkler swiftly landed and hurried over to the pile of earth.
‘Oh, the poor thing!’ Sparkler exclaimed, ‘how long do you think she’s been here? How did she get here? And how did she get so bruised?’
‘You don’t think it was . . ?’ Glory began nervously.
‘No, Glory!’ the other two replied at once in slightly irritated tones.
‘Looks like it was a nasty fall,’ said Sundance grimly, ‘she’s lucky to be alive and lucky she had a soft landing.’
‘She is alive then?’ Glory asked hesitantly. Sparkler looked very anxious.
‘She has a pulse,’ Sundance told them, ‘but it will be a miracle if she hasn’t broken anything and even though she’s alive now, she may not be for much longer.’
‘We must take her back to Crystal Town!’ came Sparkler’s worried tone, ‘before the poor filly . . !’
‘She could be a spy though!’ Glory exclaimed, ‘we can’t just take her into the town!’
Sparkler ignored Glory, too worried about the filly. She began to brush off more of the dirt.
‘It’s very unlikely,’ Sundance was saying to Glory, ‘it’s most likely she was flying somewhere and got caught in those terrible winds.’
‘A unipeg!’ Sparkler gasped.
Sundance and Glory stared at each other.
‘And,’ Sparkler continued, ‘her cutie mark! Look at her cutie mark!’
Sundance and Glory looked more closely.
‘It’s her!’ said Glory in soft amazement.
‘I don’t believe it,’ Sundance added, ‘it’s the Crystal Princess!’
*
‘I don’t know how I could have been so foalish!’ Celestia cried, ‘I was so occupied with getting there and thinking about the danger ahead that I didn’t think about the present dangers!’
‘Oh, Celestia,’ said Aquila tearfully, ‘we’re all to blame, and you were leading, I’m the most to blame if anypony is.’
‘I just let her slip through my hooves!’ Celestia exclaimed, ‘how could I!’ Aquila put a hoof on Celestia’s shoulder and turned to Dusk.
‘Can you read her mind, Dusk?’ Aquila asked quietly and sadly. Reluctantly, Dusk lit up his horn (a shade of turquoise) and closed his eyes. ‘At least we can be sure her soul’s at peace.’ Aquila told Celestia, who sobbed more violently, in a soothing tone.
To the mares’ surprise, Dusk smiled broadly and opened his eyes.
‘She’s not dead,’ Dusk told them, ‘at least, not yet. If she was, I could read her mind, but I can’t.’
*
Everything was out of focus and fuzzy. The last thing Cadence could remember was telling herself to think about Shining Armor before she hit the ground.
‘She’s waking up!’ came the whispered voice of Sundance, ‘Quick! Make yourselves look presentable!’
‘How are we supposed to do that!’ exclaimed Glory.
‘Keep your voice down!’ muttered Sparkler, ‘what’ll she think of us!’
Things were beginning to come into focus and Cadence suddenly became aware that she felt a lot cleaner but she also became aware of quite a few physical pains, particularly in her wings. As things came almost completely into focus, she looked over the side of the bed (only a few moments later did she fully realize she was in a bed) to see three mares bowing down to her. Cadence was a little shocked, not at all being used to this sort of treatment.
‘Oh, please,’ Cadence began, ‘you don’t have to do that.’
The mares looked up and Cadence quickly realized they were crystal ponies by their eyes.
‘Would you mind telling me how I got here?’ Cadence asked.
‘We found you . . .’ Sparkler replied nervously, ‘and we brought you here.’
‘You were in a bit of a state,’ Sundance told her, ‘and very lucky to have survived such a fall.’
‘Thank you,’ Cadence replied, ‘thank you very much for helping me.’
‘You’re very welcome,’ Sparkler said, ‘but it’s the least we could do for our princess.’
‘Could you tell me where I am?’ Cadence inquired.
‘You’re in Crystal Town, your highness.’ Glory informed her.
‘Thank you,’ Cadence responded, ‘and, forgive me, but I don’t know who you three are.’
‘I am Lady Sundance,’ Sundance replied, ‘and this is Lady Glory and Lady Sparkler. We have been looking after the town. Sparkler’s responsible for the food supply, Glory deals with most of the paper work and I supervise things and it is my job to keep everypony happy. And believe me,’ she added, ‘that is a lot harder than it sounds with these paranoid ponies about.’
Cadence smiled at them.
‘I hope you don’t mind Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,’ said Sparkler shyly, ‘but we gave you a bath while you were unconscious.’
‘I don’t mind at all,’ Cadence responded, ‘thank you ever so much for your kindness, call me Cadence though.’
‘Of course, Princess Cadence,’ Sundance replied, ‘I’m afraid, although it has improved a lot since yesterday, you are very bruised. We applied a remedy to fade and speed up the curing process but it will definitely give you problems for at least a few days.’
‘You won’t be able to fly for at least a couple of weeks,’ Glory added, ‘your wings were badly damaged.’
‘And don’t try to use magic for a couple of days at the very least unless it’s an emergency,’ Sparkler told her, ‘your horn is quite damaged too.’
*
After bringing Cadence breakfast in bed, and bandaging up her wings again, the mares had decided to take her on a tour of the town.
‘You’ve already done so much for me,’ Cadence was saying.
‘It’s nothing really,’ Sparkler responded.
‘Yes,’ Sundance added, ‘you’re most certainly worth serving, unlike somepony we could mention.’ The three crystal ponies shuddered.
‘What do you mean?’ Cadence asked in a confused and anxious tone.
Their attention was diverted by the arrival of a little filly who resembled Sundance in appearance, running along in a panic.
‘It’s him!’ the foal was shouting, ‘it was really him!’
These words soon caused many of the other ponies to panic. Within a few seconds, Glory had left her companions and was practically leading the panicked frenzy.
‘Not this again,’ said Sundance with a sigh, before going over to try to calm the foal, her younger sister, called Sunsparkle, down.
‘Do you mind if we use you as a distraction?’ Sparkler whispered to Cadence.
‘I don’t mind,’ Cadence replied.
The panicked crystal ponies were soon distracted, and excited by, the arrival of their princess.
‘Is she going to save us from Sombra?’ asked one.
‘Yes, yes! Of course!’ Sparkler responded, highly doubting their panic held any truth, and saying anything to keep them happy. Cadence was beginning to feel rather puzzled. Sundance and her sister came over.
‘I think,’ Sundance said, in a similar tone to that of somepony who thought they were about to throw up, ‘I think we’re going to have to go down the mines.’
‘We can’t go down there!’ Glory spluttered, ‘It’s dangerous! It’s outside of town! There are . . . There are slaves’ remains down there!’
‘I don’t understand,’ Cadence said, ‘Who’s not worth serving? Who’s Sombra? Who were these slaves?’
The three mares turned in great surprise; they looked almost shocked.
‘You don’t know?’ Sundance inquired. Cadence shook her head.
‘How can you not know!’ Glory exclaimed.
‘To tell you the truth,’ Cadence replied, a little awkwardly, ‘I only found out I was the Crystal Princess yesterday . . .’
‘I think we should show her the Crystal Tapestry,’ Sparkler said. The other two mares nodded in agreement.
‘What’s the Crystal Tapestry?’ Cadence asked.
As they were walking along, Sunsparkle turned to Cadence.
‘You’re very pretty . . .’ she told Cadence shyly.
*
‘Do you think we’ll ever find her?’ Aquila asked Dusk quietly, in a worried tone.
‘Of course we will,’ Dusk replied, ‘I am almost certain that the reason we haven’t found Cadence yet is because she’s in Crystal Town. One thing I would be interested to find out though, is how she survived that fall.’
‘She must have had a soft landing,’ Celestia responded, ‘and/or not fallen as far as we thought.’
‘It does seem like she was blown off course at least a little bit,’ Aquila added, ‘I also think she may have managed to get herself into the right position quite a few times which slowed her falling process. You don’t think The Mark could have had anything to do with her surviving that fall?’
‘Actually,’ Celestia replied thoughtfully, ‘that does seem quite likely. At least if Cadence is in Crystal Town, we know she will be well cared for.’
*
‘We would like to show Princess Cadence the Crystal Tapestry,’ Sundance told the rather old mare at the desk, ‘if it’s not too inconvenient, of course.’
The old mare looked up, a little startled, her glasses slipping down her nose slightly. She hurriedly pushed them back up again.
‘Did you say ‘Princess’?’ she asked, barely keeping the excitement out of her voice.
Cadence stepped forward nervously.
‘Your coat is so much like Lacey’s . . .’ the old mare told Cadence.
‘Whose?’ Cadence inquired.
‘Your grandmother,’ the old mare explained, ‘her name was Crystal Lace, she was a pegasus crystal pony. She had a brother named Crystal Clover. Both of them married unipegs who came to stay in the town because they were interested in us and our history.’
Cadence wondered why her mother had never told her any of this, but then, had her mother known any of this herself?
The old mare led them to the entrance and then supervised a slightly sulky Sunsparkle until they returned.
‘What is this tapestry?’ Cadence asked.
‘It shows our history,’ Sparkler explained, ‘the most central and important things that happened.’
‘We will walk along and explain to you what happened as we go,’ Sundance added.
On entering the first room, Cadence was quite shocked by what she saw. Many of the images showed ponies bound up in chains or similar attire.
‘It’s not tapestry really,’ Glory said, before noticing Cadence’s expression, ‘it’s actually embroidery . . .’
‘Are you alright, Princess?’ Sparkler asked anxiously.
Cadence didn’t reply. She just stared.
‘How did this all happen?’ Cadence inquired, struggling not to sound over emotional, ‘why were they treated so terribly!’
‘The Crystal Empire was taken over by an evil unicorn who enslaved all the ponies in it,’ Sundance began, ‘Princess Lexia was overthrown and was unable to keep the Crystal Heart out of his hooves.’
‘Who was this unicorn?’ Cadence asked, ‘and the Crystal Heart . . ?’
‘The Crystal Heart was essential to the well-being of the empire and all those under its influence,’ Sundance replied, ‘and the unicorn was, well, he called himself King Sombra at any rate.’
‘Princess Lexia was a mortal unipeg too,’ Sparkler told Cadence, ‘no-pony, as far as we know, knows what happened to her; one day she just seemed to vanish. There were rumors, of course. One thing that is known though, is that she became aware shortly beforehoof that she would be unable to prevent the empire from falling but she refused to leave, so it’s unlikely she ran away.’
‘The last time she was seen,’ Glory added hesitantly, ‘she was in a pretty bad state; battered and bruised.’
There was silence.
‘You know,’ said Sparkler thoughtfully, looking from Cadence to an image of Lexia and back again, ‘Princess Cadence does rather resemble Princess Lexia in a number of ways, you don’t think they could share some ancestry?’
‘I don’t see how she could be my ancestor,’ Cadence responded after a moment, ‘at least, not a close ancestor, with my grandfather marrying a crystal pony and the fact my grandmother on the other side hates immortal alicorns having mortal foals, plus the rarity of a mortal alicorn birth . . .’
‘A few days after the princess’s disappearance,’ Sundance continued, ‘a unipeg called Princess Luna turned up.’ Cadence jumped. ‘She seemed to have got a tip off from somewhere or somepony, anyway, Sombra managed to keep the slavery among other things from her for a time. He must’ve used a dark magical influence of some sort on her. Once she did find out what was going on, she and her sister, Princess Celestia,’ -Cadence gaped- ‘defeated him, turned him to shadow and imprisoned him.’
‘Unfortunately,’ said Glory, ‘Sombra put some kind of spell on the empire before he was completely defeated, which caused it to disappear.’
‘Our ancestors,’ Sparkler explained, ‘were either among the lucky few who happened to be away from the empire at the time Sombra came to power, somehow managed to escape on their own, or among the group Princess Luna helped escape once she found out about the way the crystal ponies were being treated. Our ancestors were making their own plans to free the empire when it disappeared.’
‘A terrible time it was after that. So many would never see their loved ones again, and, at the same time, were unable to let go, knowing that, in reality, they were still alive,’ Sundance said. ‘Even though he had been gone for so long, many ponies here are prone to extreme panic about the possibility of him returning, although in actual fact . . .’
‘Had!’ Glory spluttered, ‘what do you mean ‘had’?’
‘It’s debatable,’ Sundance began hesitantly, ‘Sunsparkle reckons she saw something, and she’s one of the least prone to panic ponies here. She said she thought it might have been her imagination but she was certain enough that we must go and have a look for ourselves.’
‘We’re going down the mines to see if King Sombra’s down there or not!’ Glory exclaimed.
‘Basically,’ Sundance replied.
‘I’m sorry we can’t give a more detailed history right now, Princess,’ said Sparkler to Cadence, ‘once we three return . . .’
‘If we return,’ Glory murmured in a panicked tone.
‘Hold your horseshoes!’ Cadence told them, ‘I’m coming with you!’
The three mares were horrified by the idea.
‘You can’t!’ Glory shouted in a terrified tone.
‘Cadence, dear,’ said Sparkler gently, ‘while I admire your courage, you appear to have forgotten that you are completely unable to use your wings and horn.’
Cadence had forgotten about these details, but it didn’t change her decision.
‘It’ll be very dangerous,’ Sundance told her, ‘well, it will be if it is what we think.’
‘I’m not afraid,’ Cadence replied, despite the fact the opposite was true. ‘In any case,’ Cadence continued, ‘I’m always in danger anyway because of The Mark.’
‘As in, The Mark of the Unipeg?’ Glory asked.
Cadence was surprised, but nodded. A moment after saying it, she had expected to be asked what it was.
‘It’s really real?’ Sundance inquired, attempting to keep the excitement out of her voice. Cadence nodded. ‘But that would mean you would be in a lot more danger than us!’ Sundance exclaimed.
‘Oh, you poor thing!’ came Sparkler’s empathetic tone, ‘losing your mother and then attracting so much trouble!’
She put a foreleg around Cadence’s shoulder.
‘Well,’ said Sundance with a sigh, after a few moments of consideration, ‘it’s ultimately your decision, Princess . . .’
‘It’s ultimately my responsibility to keep everypony in this town safe from harm,’ Cadence responded, ‘besides, there are three ponies out there looking for me who will probably never find me if I don’t leave the town.’
*
‘Remember,’ Sundance was saying to Sparkler and Glory, ‘if we trot into trouble, our main priority is to protect the princess.’
‘You must be really brave to go down those mines!’ Sunsparkle told Cadence as they walked along.
‘Thank you,’ Cadence replied, ‘but it’s something that I must do more than anything else.’
‘You won’t try to follow us, will you, Sunsparkle?’ Sundance asked her sister a little sternly.
‘I wouldn’t have the courage even if I wanted to,’ Sunsparkle responded.
*
‘Say, Sundance,’ said Glory, through fake cheeriness, ‘why don’t you go first?’
‘But I think Sparkler should go first,’ Sundance replied with a worried look on her face.
‘Why don’t you go first, Glory?’ Sparkler asked with a nervous smile.
They had arrived at the entrance to the mines and none of them were particularly keen to proceed.
‘I’ll go first,’ Cadence said.
‘No!’ the three mares yelled at once.
‘We’ll all go in at the same time then,’ Cadence suggested.
*
‘So none of you have been down here before?’ Cadence asked nervously as they walked along, barely able to see what was in front of them.
‘Of course not!’ shouted Glory, ‘who would come down here voluntarily!’
Cadence gave a shudder, partly from how incredibly cold it was and partly from fear.
‘Many crystal ponies were forced to work down here in terrible conditions,’ Sundance explained, ‘if he is here, let’s hope we find him, before he finds us.’
‘And that we don’t find any pony remains. How could he have got out anyway?’ came Glory’s slightly shrill tone, ‘what was that?’
‘It’s just water dripping, Glory,’ Sundance told her, ‘the sooner we get out of here the better.’
Cadence was almost completely unable to control her shivering.
‘Stand closer to me, Cadence, and everything will be alright,’ came Sparkler’s reassuring tone.
‘We must stick together as much as possible,’ Sundance stated. ‘Glory, stop lagging behind. Glory?’
A moment later, a yell was heard, and then, Glory was galloping towards them at a high speed.
‘It’s him! It’s him!’ Glory shrieked, ‘I really mean it this time! Run! Run! RUN!’
They ran. Ran as fast as their hooves could carry them.
‘We’re doomed!’ Glory wailed, ‘we are so doomed!’
‘We get the idea, Glory!’ Sundance muttered while gasping for breath.
‘What are we going to do?’ Cadence asked, unable to keep the fear out of her voice.
‘I don’t know,’ Sundance replied, a little croakily.
‘We’re going to protect you, Princess,’ Sparkler said firmly, ‘don’t worry.’
‘Yes, no need to worry!’ Glory stammered through a nervous laugh.
‘Yes, no need to worry at all, Crystal Princess . . .’ came King Sombra’s malicious tone from a short distance behind them.
‘How the hoof did he know!’ Glory yelled.
‘Just keep running!’ Sundance responded nervously, through gritted teeth.
‘Shut up, Sombra!’ Cadence shouted back.
The three mares looked at each other in alarm.
‘Don’t be so brave, Cadence,’ Sparkler whispered to her in a very anxious tone.
‘Hurry!’ Sundance yelled, ‘he’s almost on top of us!’
Cadence turned her head to see what looked like a large amount of black shadowy smoke which was filling the whole area that was behind them. Among this, was a pair of evil eyes. She stared. It was difficult not to scream. Cadence forced herself to look away.
‘This way!’ Sundance shouted, ‘Hurry!’
With a large amount of effort, Sparkler, Glory and Cadence increased their speed and tore round the corner.
They were going too fast and crashed into Sundance, who had stopped due to the large hole in the ground that was in front of her, which, now, all four of them tumbled into. They hit the ground with a heavy thump.
The first thing they became aware of was the sound of King Sombra’s laughter. Then, suddenly, the light from above was gone, as if the hole had never been there.
‘Uh, Sundance?’ said Sparkler, in a shaky tone.
‘Yes,’ Sundance answered anxiously.
‘I think,’ Sparkler responded, evidently frightened, ‘I think we may have fallen into a trap.’
‘Glory, quick,’ Sundance said rapidly, ‘light up your horn. If this is a trap, we need to find an escape route as fast as possible.’
They could barely see anything and there were only two things they could hear: the sound of their own hearts beating, and King Sombra’s laughter echoing around them. Cadence could feel the bodies of the three mares closing in around her protectively.
By the light of her horn, Glory busily looked around for an exit, her horn aglow in a shade of lilac. She let out a scream and almost fell backwards. The other two mares gasped, knowing very well what Glory knew. Cadence just stood there, too scared to make a sound.
He was there. They were sure of it. They could see his eyes coming into view, glowing against the dark. Something purple and smoke like was coming from his eyes, causing some areas of their surroundings to light up slightly. Sombra resumed his unicorn form with some difficulty, and smiled at the cowering ponies.
‘Sundance, do something!’ Glory muttered through gritted, terrified teeth.
‘What am I supposed to do!’ Sundance retorted through her shaking.
‘Surrendering that filly who told me to shut up a short time ago would be a good idea!’ King Sombra growled.
‘No!’ Sparkler yelled angrily.
‘You can’t have her!’ Glory snapped, surprised that she had been able to say it.
‘We won’t let you near her!’ Sundance shouted.
‘You will leave our princess alone!’ Sparkler snarled.
‘I have no intention of leaving her alone,’ Sombra sneered, coming right up to Sparkler, whose lip quivered slightly, and grinned nastily at Cadence through a small gap between the mares, ‘why would I?’
Sparkler almost managed to glare at him. Glory wore a slightly fidgety frown which kept trying to change her expression to how she really felt. Sundance’s expression was somewhere in between that of Sparkler and Glory, but, at least, unlike Glory, she could maintain it.
‘So,’ Sombra continued in a mean tone, ‘who wants their manacles fitted first?’
Cadence and the three mares backed away with wide, frightened eyes.
‘Or, perhaps, you would prefer to hoof her over after all . . .’
‘You’d do the same thing whatever we did!’ Sundance said fiercely, ‘what difference would it make anyway!’
‘The difference is how much I decide to punish you for being disobedient,’ Sombra hissed, a slightly sadistic smile on his face, ‘how about the scold’s bridle? Or perhaps,’ he jeered through a growl, leering at Glory, who flattened herself against a wall, ‘the rack would be more appropriate . . .’
‘How dare you!’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘How dare you treat them like that!’
Sundance, Sparkler and Glory (who was clutching Sundance) stared. Sombra looked almost amused.
‘You have no right to treat them like that!’ Cadence raged, ‘Like property! Like dirt! Like garbage!’
‘As if they aren’t,’ Sombra snorted, ‘at any rate, they soon will be.’
‘The only pony who is dirt or garbage,’ Cadence snapped, ‘is you!’
‘I haven’t even started on you yet, Princess!’ Sombra snarled, ‘I thought a few dunks under water and some sleep deprivation might tame you, but it seems I’ll have to take much stronger measures!’ Cadence glared at him. ‘I would be better behaved if I were you, or would you rather join them on the rack?’ he added nastily, eyeing the three petrified mares.
‘There’s an exit,’ Sundance whispered to Sparkler and Glory.
Sundance had taken advantage of the fact that Cadence was, unintentionally, distracting Sombra from them. Sundance had only just returned before he had turned to look at them.
‘Leave them alone!’ Cadence shouted.
‘I will make it worse for them if you don’t do as I say!’ Sombra roared.
‘I won’t let you hurt them!’ Cadence snarled, ‘and I won’t let you anywhere near the others either! I never will! You can’t make me!’
‘Others?’ Sombra muttered to himself, ‘There are others! Of course there are others. Of course . . .’
‘Princess!’ Sundance called urgently. Cadence turned her head. ‘We’ve got an escape route!’
‘Hurry!’ Sparkler yelled.
Glory was too nervous to even do her usual panic routine. Cadence dashed in their direction.
‘What!’ Sombra growled, before letting out a furious roar that could be heard from quite some distance away.
‘Is he following us?’ Glory squealed.
‘Of course he is!’ Sparkler whimpered, while turning her head to see how far Cadence was behind them. It was only a small distance.
‘We’re quite close to the entrance!’ Sundance exclaimed happily, ‘Come on! Not much further!’
The four of them increased their pace as best they could. They were so frightened and exhausted but they forced themselves onward. The three of them rushed out of the mines and into the quite icy plains. Sundance and Glory beamed at each other and embraced affectionately. Sparkler looked so shocked, so worried, and so scared.
‘It’s alright, Sparkler!’ said Sundance cheerfully.
‘There’s nothing to worry or panic about!’ Glory added, ‘Well, at least not at this second.’
‘Oh yes there is!’ came Sparkler’s terrified, and, in some ways, almost tearful tone, ‘How have you not noticed!’
Sundance and Glory looked at each other blankly.
‘How have you not noticed,’ Sparkler continued, her eyes pricking with tears, ‘that Princess Cadence isn’t here! She should have come out by now! Isn’t it obvious what’s happened to her! She was too far behind us! He was too fast! Our poor princess is all alone and in Sombra’s hooves!’
Being chained to a wall wasn’t exactly fun. In fact, it was downright unpleasant, not to mention uncomfortable. There was no way Cadence could free herself; even if she had known an appropriate spell, she would be unable to perform it with her damaged horn.
What should she do? When he returned, what would he . . ? Cadence suddenly remembered the device attached to her hair. Would she be able to move her head close enough to it for it to be able to be used? She leaned up as far as she could.
‘Grandpa?’ Cadence called weakly, ‘Grandpa, are you there?’
‘Cadie?’ came Dusk’s voice, ‘Cadie, is that you?’
‘Yes! Yes, it’s me!’ Cadence replied anxiously.
‘Cadie, where are you?’ Dusk asked in a worried tone, ‘Are you hurt? You sound frightened.’
‘I’m, I’m down in the old mines, Grandpa!’ Cadence responded quickly.
‘The mines!’ Dusk exclaimed, ‘what are you doing down there! Can’t you find your way out?’
‘I’m chained up to the wall!’ Cadence told him, ‘I can barely move! And Sombra will be back soon!’
‘Chained up to the wall!’ came Dusk’s shocked tone, ‘Did you say Sombra! He’s escaped!’
‘Yes!’ Cadence replied fearfully, ‘He’s down here! He was the one that chained me up!’
‘What!’ Dusk cried, ‘Cadence, don’t panic. Everything will be alright. We’ll be down there as soon as possible! You’re going to be okay!’
Dusk was gone, and Cadence felt even more alone than before. Sombra would be back any moment and then . . . She didn’t know, and that was at least half of what scared her. How could she have let this happen? She had let them down, she had let down those crystal ponies who had been so kind to her; what would they think of her now? She tried once more to struggle free but it was no good.
‘Oh,’ Cadence said sadly to herself, ‘what a useless princess I am!’
‘Couldn’t agree more!’ Sombra responded unpleasantly, before turning back into a unicorn again, ‘You’re puny for a start, you can barely run . . .’
‘I didn’t ask your opinion!’ Cadence snapped. She hadn’t noticed that he had returned.
‘Don’t interrupt me and watch your tone,’ Sombra spat, ‘no wimpy crystal ponies around to save you this time!’
‘They are not wimps!’ Cadence protested angrily.
‘Which reminds me,’ Sombra continued, putting his face very close to hers, ‘you mentioned ‘others’. Where are they?’ he demanded.
‘Oh, but you will, Princess, you will,’ Sombra told her with a nasty smile, ‘you will do everything I say . . .’
‘No I won’t!’ Cadence snarled.
‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way,’ Sombra growled, ‘would you like your wings and horn to become permanently damaged, for example? Do everything I say, and I might consider being a little less harsh on you.’
‘Never, never, never!’ Cadence cried, fuming with rage and fright.
‘I will have mastery over you, Princess,’ Sombra snarled, ‘you and all your crystal ponies!’
‘I won’t let you!’ Cadence retorted, struggling not to cry, ‘I won’t let you hurt any of them!’
‘You don’t have any choice,’ Sombra sneered, ‘you won’t be able to save them from me. You seem to be more in favor of torture now, talk later, then more torture, rather than talk now, and torture later. You’re certainly in need of some obedience training . . .’
‘I will never do what you say!’ Cadence yelled, ‘Never!’
Sombra turned his head and walked away.
‘At your choice,’ Sombra jeered, ‘which you won’t have for much longer. You will soon be my slave. I’ll be back soon with some torture devices which will make you more co-operative.’
A few moments after he was gone, Cadence couldn’t hold it in any more, and burst into tears.
‘Oh, Cadence, don’t cry!’ came the voice of Sparkler.
Cadence looked up in surprise. Sundance, Sparkler and Glory were cantering towards her.
‘We’re sorry,’ said Sundance, ‘we just didn’t think it was a sensible plan to gallop in while he was still here. Of course, if it had got much worse . . .’
‘And we’re so sorry we left you behind,’ added Glory, who performed a spell which released Cadence, ‘we didn’t notice you were gone until we got outside.’
‘Lucky you knew that spell, Glory,’ Sparkler whispered.
‘Type of spell you learn when you panic as much as I do,’ Glory responded.
Cadence was too full of emotion to be able to stop herself from crying.
‘It’s going to be alright,’ Sparkler told Cadence soothingly, while holding her in a protective embrace and stroking her mane, ‘you’re going to be okay. There, there . . .’
‘We need to get moving,’ Sundance muttered urgently.
‘Yes, yes!’ Glory stuttered, rocking slightly from side to side while Sparkler used her mane to wipe Cadence’s face.
‘Thank you,’ Cadence murmured.
‘Come on, come on!’ Glory grumbled impatiently, moving her hooves up and down in anxiety.
They all hurried out the way the three mares had come.
‘We’re better off now, at least,’ Sundance said, ‘we know which way to go.’
Suddenly, there was a deafening, furious roar.
‘He knows, he knows!’ Glory shrieked.
‘Gallop!’ Sundance shouted, ‘Hurry!’
‘You will belong to me, crystal ponies . . .’ Sombra hissed.
Cadence and the three mares increased their speed.
‘Sundance, where was Sombra imprisoned?’ Cadence asked quickly.
‘In the ice of the arctic north,’ Sundance replied, ‘why do you want to know?’
‘Where is that?’ came Cadence’s urgent tone, ‘how far is it?’
‘We’re practically in it right now,’ Sundance responded, ‘there’s probably an opening where he escaped from near the entrance.’
‘We need to get him back in there,’ Cadence stated, ‘or, at least, I do . . .’
‘What!’ Glory exclaimed.
‘It’s the only way,’ Cadence explained in a low voice, ‘he will just continue to prey on us otherwise, and it would only take one pony to make one false move while he’s standing outside the town and he’d have a good chance of forcing them to let him inside.’
‘You’re planning to re-imprison him?’ a shocked Sparkler whispered, ‘how could you possibly do it?’
‘I don’t know,’ Cadence replied, ‘but there isn’t much choice.’
They stopped. They had reached a large gap. Sundance was furious with herself.
‘How could I have been so stupid!’ Sundance exclaimed, ‘Glory can teleport, Sparkler, you can fly, I can jump it, but only just, and I’m a very good jumper; there’s no way the princess would make it and her wings are too damaged and . . .’
‘I could try to teleport,’ Cadence said cautiously.
‘I’m afraid that trying any magic risks damaging your horn for good,’ Sparkler told her.
‘We have to go!’ Glory screeched, ‘We can’t turn back now! We’re trapped if we don’t go!’
‘You three better go,’ Cadence murmured sadly, looking at the ground. Sparkler turned to the other two mares.
‘You’d better go while you still have the chance,’ Sparkler said, ‘but I’m staying here. I can’t leave Princess Cadence here alone.’
‘There must be some way to get her across safely,’ Sundance responded thoughtfully.
‘Hurry up and think of something quick!’ Glory quivered.
After a moment, Cadence knew the only plan that had a chance of succeeding.
‘Listen to me,’ Cadence told them, ‘this is a risky plan, and after all you’ve done for me, I don’t want to endanger any of you but this is the only thing I can think of.’
The three mares waited for her to continue anxiously.
‘You three must get to the other side and create a ladder. Sparkler must be at the bottom, then Glory, then Sundance. Sundance is the strongest so she’ll have the best chance of holding both of you and me without falling. Sparkler will probably need to fly for a short distance to catch me but she won’t be able to hold me for very long so Glory must be ready with a summoning spell.’
‘But if my summoning spell failed . . .’ Glory protested.
‘I am completely willing to take the risk for the princess’s sake.’ Sparkler interrupted.
‘But the princess is quite likely to be falling with you!’ Glory stuttered.
‘I would rather fall to my death then be enslaved by Sombra any day.’ Cadence responded, ‘I am willing to take the risk as long as Sparkler is.’
‘He’ll be here any moment!’ Glory exclaimed.
Sundance went first, easily making the leap, and landed clumsily on the other side.
‘Hurry up you two!’ Sundance called, before picking herself up.
Glory teleported and Sparkler took to her wings. Cadence looked at the gap and gulped. Suddenly, the plan seemed so much more dangerous than before. She hesitated, but at the same time, she could hear Sombra coming closer and closer; she could see him coming closer and closer. Cadence took a deep, shuddering breath, backed up a few steps, and took the leap. She closed her eyes. If she had fallen, she didn’t want to see it. She felt wind whistling past her and then, nothing.
‘Princess,’ came Sundance’s voice softly, ‘you can open your eyes now.’
Cadence opened her eyes, more due to surprise than anything else. She looked up to see the smiles of the three, very relieved, mares. Cadence quickly got to her hooves. They galloped off. None of them dared to look back.
‘How was Sombra imprisoned before?’ Cadence asked as they rushed along.
‘I don’t exactly know,’ Sundance admitted breathlessly, ‘the two princesses combined their magic somehow.’ Cadence thought hard, then turned to Glory.
‘Do you know any spells we could use, Glory?’ Cadence inquired.
‘No,’ Glory murmured, ‘only the technique of driving somepony in a certain direction while performing another spell . . .’
‘Well that’s useful!’ Sparkler exclaimed.
‘But the spell, and the pony performing it, would have to be very powerful and very effective, plus, the ice would need to be sealed up and it would probably only work for a very short time unless an immortal unipeg was involved.’ Glory responded.
‘I know what we could . . .’ Sundance began, then stopped.
‘What?’ Sparkler inquired.
‘It’s no good,’ Sundance replied with a sigh, ‘I forgot about the princess’s damaged horn . . .’
‘Tell us anyway,’ Cadence said.
‘Well,’ Sundance explained, ‘if we could channel our crystal power through the princess, she might just have enough power, but with her horn as it is . . .’
‘I’ll do it,’ Cadence told them.
‘What!’ shrieked Glory.
‘If you do this,’ Sundance replied, ‘your horn will almost certainly be damaged beyond repair.’
‘It may even split in two!’ Sparkler added in a fearful tone.
‘I must risk it,’ Cadence responded, ‘and if you want somepony with magical ability to be your princess, you can replace me after this.’
‘No!’ Sparkler cried, ‘we would never . . !’
They were nearly at the entrance now. They hurried out.
‘We need to find that opening quickly!’ Sundance said rapidly and anxiously, ‘It’s our only chance!’
It was bitterly cold, and it was lucky there was very little wind, but the ground was very slippery and icy. Sundance, being easily the fastest, quickly found the gaping plates of ice that Sombra had escaped from. Cadence told the other three to hide and be ready; she wanted Sombra to be unsuspicious of their plans for as long as possible.
‘Remember,’ whispered Glory, ‘push through your horn magically in a similar way to how you would physically push something with your hoof.’ Cadence gave a nod, before walking away a short distance.
‘Do you think this will work?’ Sparkler asked Sundance in a quiet voice.
‘She’s as close to a crystal heart as we’re going to get,’ Sundance replied, ‘we must have faith in her.’
He was coming. They could sense it. Now they could see it. Cadence was having great difficulty controlling her fear. He was coming towards her! What if she couldn’t do this? What if she failed them? Failed all the crystal ponies? She gulped.
‘Not exactly, loyal subjects, are they?’ Sombra continued.
The three mares jumped out of hiding and were in position in an instant. A pale blue light from them seemed to shoot into Cadence and her cutie mark glowed. Sombra quickly realized what they were aiming to do and, with a ferocious growl, began to fight back.
Cadence began to perform her love spell. To her horror; even the smallest amount of magic was causing her immense pain. She gasped in shock and pain, but forced herself to continue, she had no choice, she couldn’t let her ponies down, and if she didn’t save them, who would?
She was having to put so much effort into continue performing the spell and to fight Sombra’s magic through the pain she was in which was now becoming torturous; she could feel her horn beginning to crack; her cutie mark was flashing rapidly.
She couldn’t bear the agony much more, but she had to, but she couldn’t. Just when she could stand no more, she heard a voice beside her.
‘You can stop now, Cadence, we’ll take it from here.’ Cadence looked up. It was Princess Celestia.
Cadence collapsed on the ground in pain and exhaustion. As she looked around, Cadence caught sight of Aquila and Dusk hurrying over.
‘Sorry we took so long, Cadie,’ Dusk gasped breathlessly.
Cadence quickly found herself in the middle of a battlefield with magic flying in every direction. She flattened herself on the ground. Sundance, Sparkler and Glory came out of their formation and watched as magic raged.
Sombra quickly realized he stood no chance against three immortal alicorns. Enraged at his oncoming defeat, Sombra made a grab for Cadence. The filly’s screams alerted the adults in less than a moment, but the spell was nearing its complete stage and it looked like Cadence was about to be dragged under the ice too.
The three alicorns stopped the spell as quickly as they could as the three crystal ponies looked on in horror, hurrying over to the ice that was quickly closing up, but they arrived too late. The three alicorns rushed over.
‘No!’ Glory yelled, ‘this can’t have happened! Not to such a brave, sweet . . .’
‘She was the best princess we ever had!’ Sparkler wept, ‘at least one of the best! So brave! So selfless! She practically sacrificed herself . . !’
Sundance tried to say something but she couldn’t even form a single word. The three alicorns were close to tears too, when they heard a sound below.
‘Can somepony pull me up, please? I can’t hold on much longer!’ They all looked down. Because the spell remained incomplete, parts of the ice below did not line up, were not solid or needed recreating. It was Cadence. She had managed to cling on to a piece of ice.
Dusk put his horn into the ice and told Cadence to hold onto it. Celestia and Aquila removed enough to let Cadence out and then began resealing the ice. The three crystal ponies thumped their hooves in jubilation. Cadence’s horn was in a terrible state, it was almost completely split in two. She sighed very sadly, remembering that it would now be beyond repair. Aquila came over.
‘Let me help you,’ Aquila said to a sad and surprised Cadence, ‘my special talent is magical healing, I should be able to at least make your horn as undamaged as it was before you performed that magic.’
*
‘Those crystal ponies sure like you, Cadie!’ Dusk said cheerfully, a few minutes after beginning to start for home, ‘quite the heroine you are!’ Cadence smiled wearily.
‘Grandpa?’ Cadence asked curiously, ‘when you met Crystal Lace, who was the other alicorn with you?’
‘Funny you should ask,’ Dusk replied, ‘it was Aquila.’
Cadence was rather surprised and turned to Aquila.
‘But wouldn’t that mean that True Star . . ?’ Cadence inquired.
‘She would have been the next crystal princess if she had lived.’ Aquila responded sadly.
‘Auntie Tia,’ Cadence asked, ‘why do you think Sombra came out in the first place?’
‘Well,’ Celestia replied, ‘it’s very unlikely he will manage to come out again, at least not until the Crystal Empire returns. And, well, I don’t really know how or why he came out, but I have a theory.’
Cadence waited.
‘I don’t want you to feel bad about this, Cadence, even if it is true, because it isn’t your fault,’ Celestia continued, ‘but I think the combination of you being the crystal princess combined with The Mark may have been near enough to the empire returning to have woken him up.’
Cadence felt really bad, she knew she shouldn’t, but she did. Cadence climbed onto her aunt’s back just before they took off. Hopefully, this journey would be less eventful than the previous one.
Shining Armor couldn’t understand it. Ever since Cadence had returned from, well, wherever she’d been, Shining Armor couldn’t shake the feeling that she had been avoiding him. At first, he hadn’t been too concerned, thinking she must be busy, or maybe, she was set on tracking down her mother’s soul alone. But after a while, with Cadence continuing to avoid him, his anxiety created other, more worrying ideas.
Had she met another, better colt on her travels? Did she like him more, and didn’t have the courage to say so? Shining Armor asked Fleur de Lis about Cadence, but she said she hadn’t seen her much either. Shining Armor felt worse, perhaps Cadence was seeing another colt if she was avoiding Fleur de Lis too; she wasn’t officially his fillyfriend after all.
He couldn’t bear it any longer. He had to find out, even if it caused his heart to shatter. He was determined to talk to her before he left on the camping trip; he didn’t know if Cadence was going or not. In any case, he needed to talk with her alone. He found her surprisingly quickly, he caught sight of her talking to Thora’s little sister, Trixie.
‘I’ll never be any good at magic,’ Trixie was saying sadly.
‘You don’t know that,’ said Cadence comfortingly, ‘in any case you are good at other things.’
‘I want to be good at magic,’ Trixie replied a little sulkily.
‘And you will be,’ Cadence answered, ‘you’ll be great at magic.’
‘Sister doesn’t think so,’ Trixie responded.
‘Thora isn’t always right, you know,’ Cadence told her with a small smile, ‘and sometimes things do seem impossible at first, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be achieved.’
‘I wish . . .’ Trixie murmured.
‘You’ll be great,’ Cadence replied, ‘you’ll be . . . the Great and Powerful Trixie!’
‘You really think so?’ Trixie asked with a small smile.
‘You’ll certainly be more great and powerful than that constantly in trouble princess!’ It was Thora, ‘Mind you, that’s not saying much.’ She smirked at a hurt Cadence. ‘Come along, Trixie,’ Thora continued. Trixie hurried up to her sister eagerly, and the siblings walked off together. Cadence gave a small sigh.
‘Cadence?’ Cadence turned to see Shining Armor coming towards her. ‘We need to talk.’ He told.
‘Yes,’ Cadence replied hesitantly, already starting to feel a lump in her throat, we do.’ She was struggling to hold the tears back; she knew what would become of this.
‘You have been avoiding me,’ Shining Armor said gently.
‘Yes,’ Cadence replied in a soft, weak voice, ‘I have. I have been avoiding nearly everypony, but especially you. I . . . I didn’t want to put you in harm’s way and I didn’t want to say this. I knew I would have to if I saw you . . .’ She looked at the ground.
‘What do you have to say?’ Shining Armor inquired, shocked and scared, ‘You’re not . . ? You’re not dumping me are you? Please, I can do better. I’ll do anything . . !’ Cadence burst into tears.
‘You’re so good to me!’ Cadence wept, ‘I couldn’t ask any more of you! But now I know, you must know. I’m not dumping you! I’m giving you the opportunity to dump me!’
Shining Armor stared.
‘I have,’ Cadence continued tearfully, ‘what is known as The Mark. To sum up the problems it causes, danger and trouble will continue to find me. I’m endangering everypony to a certain extent, just by being here, and I will continue to be in danger all the time, at least until marehood. So, please, Shining Armor,’ Cadence implored him, her heart feeling as if it were about to burst and shatter into a million pieces, ‘dump me quickly.’
Shining Armor was shocked.
‘Cadence . . .’ Shining Armor said slowly, trying to recover from what Cadence had just said, ‘You remember what I told you on Hearts & Hooves Day?’
‘That I made a cute rabbit?’ Cadence asked, blushing slightly, and giving a small laugh through her tears.
‘I meant the other thing,’ Shining Armor replied, ‘when you were a rabbit, and I didn’t realize it was you . . .’
There was silence for a moment, and Cadence’s face went a little pinker.
‘Well, what I said then still applies,’ Shining Armor continued hurriedly, ‘I l-lo-lov- care very much about you. I could never leave you now when you need me most.’
‘But you’d be in so much danger too!’ Cadence protested tearfully.
‘I’d have you,’ Shining Armor simply responded, ‘you need me, but I need you too.’
Cadence smiled, tears flowing down her cheeks. Shining Armor put his foreleg around her protectively and affectionately. Cadence rested her head on his shoulder and Shining Armor wiped the tears off her face.
Soarin’ and Spitfire stumbled out of nowhere with nervous expressions on their faces.
‘Does everypony spy on us?’ Shining Armor inquired, ‘First Joe and Steamer, now you two!’
‘You two are really cute together,’ Spitfire said with a smile.
‘Oh, Spitfire!’ Soarin’ complained, ‘sometimes you can be such a filly!’
‘I am a filly, in case you hadn’t noticed!’ Spitfire retorted.
‘You two sound like an old couple bickering!’ Cadence laughed.
‘Oh, guess who else is going on the camping trip?’ Soarin’ groaned, ‘Thora and her stupid sister!’
‘Trixie isn’t that bad,’ Cadence replied.
‘She wouldn’t be if she didn’t idolize Thora.’ Spitfire told her.
‘Are you going on the camping trip?’ Soarin’ asked Cadence.
‘Well, I was going to . . .’ Cadence responded nervous.
‘You’re not going to let Thora put you off, are you?’ Shining Armor inquired. Cadence wasn’t sure.
‘Don’t give a thought to mean old Thora,’ Spitfire told her, ‘it will be amusing to see her showing us how not to put a tent up!’
‘I can’t put a tent up like this,’ Cadence murmured.
Her horn and wings were taking longer to heal that expected. Her wings were still completely unusable and, although her horn was almost healed, she didn’t want to risk damaging it more by using it when it wasn’t completely healed. Shining Armor looked concerned.
‘She wouldn’t dare do anything that nasty in front of her sister anyway,’ Soarin’ said to Cadence, ‘no matter how much Thora dislikes it, Trixie evidently likes you.’
‘And I thoroughly doubt Starburst would let her get away with anything either!’ Shining Armor added.
‘I hope they’ll be some pie!’ Soarin’ said enthusiastically.
‘Do you ever think with anything but your stomach, Soarin’?’ Spitfire asked with a sigh.
‘Who’s Starburst?’ Cadence inquired.
‘He’s the stallion leading the camping trip,’ Shining Armor explained, ‘he was once in the Royal Guard. He is still highly respected there. He would’ve been captain easily, but,’ –he hesitated- ‘but something happened, no-pony would tell me what, but it meant he lost his chance and he ended up having to quit entirely because he was unable to cope.’
There was silence. Soarin’ and Spitfire had trotted off somewhere while Shining Armor had been explaining.
‘What happened to your wings and horn?’ Shining Armor asked Cadence.
‘Well, that’s a long story,’ Cadence replied.
*
‘Wish I could come too,’ Fleur de Lis said, ‘but my parents aren’t epically keen on me going off and getting mucky. And they don’t like me straying away from home either anyway.’
‘Do they know about how . . ?’ Cadence inquired.
‘No, they don’t know about the whole Raven Mocker thing.’
Cadence shuddered.
‘They’ve always been a bit like this. Don’t worry about that trace thingy.’
‘The Mark,’ Cadence corrected.
‘You’ll have your coltfriend right beside you,’ Fleur de Lis reminded her.
‘He’s not my coltfriend yet, Lis!’ Cadence responded, ‘we haven’t even nuzzled noses yet, never mind a kiss that’s not on the cheek.’
‘Well it’s about time you did!’ Fleur de Lis replied, crossing her forelegs.
*
‘Did you tell her about The Mark?’ Shining Armor asked as he rebandaged Cadence’s damaged wings for her. Cadence nodded. Once he had finished, Cadence stood up.
‘Thank you, Shining Armor,’ Cadence said, kissing him lightly on the cheek.
Shining Armor smiled, his face reddening and his surroundings appearing fuzzy and slightly brighter for a few moments.
‘It will be alright though?’ Cadence asked nervously, ‘Won’t it?’
The knowledge of The Mark had made her slightly more paranoid than she would naturally have been.
‘Of course it will be,’ Shining Armor replied reassuringly, placing his hoof close to hers, ‘I’ll look after you.’
Cadence found it hard to believe that she still had difficulty making eye contact with him sometimes.
*
There were nineteen of them, not including Starburst, who had them line up in twos and threes for counting, eight fillies and eleven colts. They were all wearing saddlebags, with the exception of Cadence, who wasn’t wearing one, and Shining Armor, who was wearing two. He had insisted on carrying Cadence’s for her. Thora glared over enviously when Trixie wasn’t looking.
‘There aren’t any timberwolves in these woods are there?’ a filly named Millie asked nervously.
‘Nope,’ Thora replied with a smirk, ‘just goblins . . .’
‘Shut up, Thora!’ Shining Armor snarled, ‘I know very well why you said that!’
‘Shining Armor, calm down,’ Starburst told him, ‘Thora, at least wait until we’re round a campfire. And no, there are no timberwolves or goblins in these woods.’
His voice was filled with authority, but at the same time, he sounded worn down and weary, and his voice was filled with a great sense of loss. Cadence wondered how Thora could have possibly known about those goblins. Shining Armor felt embarrassed as he greatly admired Starburst.
*
It was almost dark when they arrived at the place they were going to camp. They quickly began to put up three large tents: one for colts, one for fillies, and one for Starburst and most of the luggage.
Cadence was struggling quite a bit with the part of the tent she was supposed to be putting up, as she had never done this before even with magic, luckily, and to Cadence’s slight surprise, Trixie came over to help her.
‘Thank, Great and Powerful Trixie,’ Cadence breathed. Trixie grinned.
‘Is it true you were set on by goblins?’ Trixie asked.
‘Yes,’ Cadence sighed sadly.
‘Sister didn’t mean it you know,’ Trixie said, a little anxiously, ‘she was just horsing around.’
Cadence looked at her, and could tell that Trixie genuinely believed what she was saying.
‘I wish cousin Joe could have come,’ Trixie continued, ‘but he was busy with the shop.’
‘Joe’s your cousin?’ Cadence asked.
‘Oh, yes!’ Trixie responded.
But didn’t that mean . . ?
*
‘Give the love ponies some room!’ called a colt named Graphite as Cadence and Shining Armor approached the campfire. A large amount of giggles ensued. Starburst smiled over at the two ponies.
‘What about some campfire stories?’ asked Millie.
There were murmurs and nods of agreement. Eyes quickly fell on Cadence’s damaged wings.
Thora struggled to keep her rage and envy hidden as Trixie, among the others, listened to Cadence in awe and admiration as she told of the Union Of The Alicorns, her great fall, the crystal ponies, and King Sombra. When she had finished, however, Thora was the first to speak.
‘Great story, Princess,’ Thora said.
Cadence looked at her blankly.
‘Mind if I tell one?’ Thora continued innocently.
The other ponies got ready to listen. Cadence felt anxious. Shining Armor felt slightly suspicious. All of Trixie’s attention was now on her big sister.
‘I will now tell you of the terrible fate that befell the youngest foal of Princess Platinum,’ Thora began, watching Cadence out of the corner of her eye, a small smirk forming at the side of her mouth, ‘I give you the terrifying tale of the Blue Blood Seekers!’
‘It all happened in a forest,’ Thora began, ‘just like this one. It seemed pretty harmless during the day, so the young mortal alicorn princess spent the day wandering around, searching for wild flowers. The warm sun made her feel sleepy, so she paused to sit down, and soon, she fell fast asleep.’
Thora paused for effect, and looked round at her audience.
‘When she woke,’ Thora continued, ‘she was no longer in that place she had fallen asleep in. It was now very dark and far from pleasant. Suddenly, the sound of thunder roared from the skies! But no rain or lightning followed. The wind whistled through the trees, causing many of the branches to sound like creaking doors or shrieking ponies. In an instant, the wind seemed to be calling out her name, which echoed among the trees and plants. Her heart raced, for she knew something was coming for her. Coming to GET HER!’
A couple of the younger foals yelped.
‘As the full moon rose high into the sky,’ Thora told her uneasy audience, ‘they emerged from the darkness. Silent as night. Craving the flesh and blood of royalty. The poor defenseless princess turned to flee. But the ravenous creatures eagerly gave chase, their victim clearly in their sights. The princess had no hope of escape, and quickly came to a cliff edge where all she could do, was wait for her doom. Waiting, with the knowledge that they would tear her to bits, eat her flesh, and drink her blood. By the dawn of the next day, all that remained of the princess, was her mane and tail, lying beside the bunch of flowers she had been gathering.’
A large amount of applause broke out as Thora ended. No-pony noticed Cadence. Thora was very pleased with her reception, but was far more pleased with Cadence’s reaction. Cadence was shuddering and shivering violently. Shining Armor was the first to notice.
‘Are you okay, Cadence?’ Shining Armor asked her softly and anxiously.
‘Worried the Seekers will come and get you?’ Thora inquired smugly.
‘No,’ Cadence replied nervously, her lip quivering slightly, ‘certainly not.’
She wasn’t going to let Thora know she’d scared her half to death.
‘Of course you’re not,’ Thora continued in a nasty tone, ‘they only come out when there’s a full moon. Oh, wait, there is a full moon tonight, isn’t there?’
Cadence swallowed hard. The wind caused the grass and some of the leaves on the old trees to rustle suspiciously. Cadence turned her pretty face anxiously. Thora smirked, barely holding back a snigger.
The darkness of the sky was suddenly so much more frightening to Cadence and the trees were filled with such a sense of foreboding.
‘Time for bed fillies and colts!’ said Starburst suddenly.
The young ponies gradually got to their hooves, a few grumbling slightly. Cadence watched as Trixie and her friend, Lightning Dust trotted towards the fillies' tent, chattering actively. As a stray leaf landed on her back, Cadence jumped, crashing into Thora and Starburst.
‘Easy there, Princess,’ came Starburst’s kind and calming tone, ‘try to settle down a bit.’
‘Sorry,’ Cadence replied guiltily.
‘Don’t worry about it . . . I mean, Cadence.’ Starburst told her.
Cadence got the distinct impression that Starburst had been about to call her by another name. Thora had got up.
‘Behavior like that won’t save you from the Seekers,’ Thora whispered in Cadence’s ear as she passed. Cadence shivered.
As Cadence was attempting to recover, Shining Armor came over. I must touch noses with him, Cadence thought as she watched him approach, I must touch noses with him.
‘Cadence,’ Shining Armor began, ‘I, are you going to be alright?’
The question threw Cadence slightly.
‘I mean,’ Shining Armor continued a little anxiously, ‘we could sleep outside, together, if you need me.’
A large part of her would much rather have slept outside, away from Thora, who would probably spend the rest of the night making remarks, but Cadence didn’t want to let on how bad Thora had made her feel.
The thing that worried Cadence the most was not the story itself, but the Mark. If there were any Seekers in the forest tonight, or anywhere nearby, they would surely be attracted to her by it. It was so much more likely that they would come and get her.
‘I think I’ll be alright,’ she told him.
She tried to move her nose towards his, but it wouldn’t budge, she was too shy.
As Shining Armor turned his head in the direction of the tents, Cadence couldn’t help but feel bitterly disappointed with herself.
‘If you need me . . .’ Shining Armor said. Cadence nodded.
They headed for the separate tents. Cadence hesitated before entering.
‘Still in one piece then?’ Thora asked, no sooner than Cadence had entered the tent, ‘Seekers haven’t got you yet?’
Cadence tried to ignore her.
‘It must be pretty painful being ripped to pieces and eaten alive,’ Thora continued casually, wearing an expression that was so reminiscent of Goody Four-Shoes that it was rather startling. ‘Most of you will probably be gone by dawn!’ Thora added meanly.
‘Shut up, Thora!’ Millie shouted, cantering across the tent, to Cadence’s side.
‘Why should she do that?’ asked Lightning Dust, ‘It was just getting good!’
A glare from Millie silenced Lightning Dust. Millie returned to Thora.
‘Go away and leave Cadence alone, you big bully!’ Millie snarled, ‘A fine example you’re being!’
Thora walked away sulkily to her sleeping bag, muttering things under her breath to Lightning Dust as she went. Millie turned back to Cadence.
‘Pay no attention to Thora.’ Millie told her softly, ‘She’s just trying to scare you. The Seekers don’t exist.’
Thora gave a snort. Millie chose to ignore this.
‘And even if they did,’ Millie continued, ‘none of us would let them near you if they did, well, except maybe Thora.’
Cadence tried to smile.
‘You should know,’ Millie added, ‘that Thora made a change to that story. Thora changed the filly from a unicorn to an alicorn.’
It took Cadence a long time to fall asleep. Every little sound made her anxious. When eventually she did fall asleep, she had a rather odd dream. The Seekers were on her trail, she was running, but the further Cadence went, the sleepier she became. She turned her head. The Seeker in the lead turning into Thora, who then turned into Goody Four-Shoes, and started laughing at her.
Cadence woke up with a start.
She wasn’t in her sleeping bag. She wasn’t in the tent. She wasn’t even anywhere near the tent. She didn’t even recognize the area in the slightest!
Cadence’s heart hammered loudly in her chest. Thora’s words echoed in her head.
‘When she woke, she was no longer in that place she had fallen asleep in . . .’
Cadence tried to push this from her mind. Trembling slightly, Cadence got to her hooves. She looked around, hoping to get a hint of which way to go. The sound of thunder rumbled from the sky. Oh, great! Cadence thought, It’s going to rain! As if being lost in this forest wasn’t enough! I’m going to get soaked!
Cadence began to walk. The sooner she got back, the better, and the drier she would be. After a few moments, she stopped in her tracks, and slowly looked up at the sky. It wasn’t raining. It didn’t look like it was going to rain. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Only the full moon shining brightly among the distant stars. The wind whistled through the unfamiliar trees, and whipped around her.
‘It’s all my imagination,’ she told herself, struggling not to panic, ‘the Seekers don’t exist, it’s just in my mind.’
The branches on the trees were creaking, somepony was calling her name, she could hear the sound of hooves. There was nothing for it. They were coming for her. Cadence bolted. She didn’t see Thora and Lightning Dust sniggering behind a tree.
Cadence was running as fast as her hooves could carry her, she was gasping for air, struggling to breathe, unable to scream, overwhelmed with panic and desperation.
She thought she could hear voices and hooves moving at a much more rapid pace than hers were or could. She was convinced plants were trying to grab her, the wind was pulling her back, and that everything was laughing at her menacingly.
To her horror, Cadence realized she was heading for a cliff edge.
‘She was a unicorn,’ Cadence reminded herself, ‘I can fly.’
She only remembered as she reached the cliff edge that she was unable to use her wings. Too late to stop, she fell. In a desperate attempt, she just barely managed to grab the cliff side. Cadence screwed up her face, allowing two tears to escape and dribble down her face. The Seekers would have her at any moment. She would try to fight them, but she knew there was no way she could win. They would drink her blood, rip her to pieces and eat her flesh. Cadence couldn’t hold it in any more. She screamed.
*
Shining Armor woke with a start. He quickly became aware of a kicking sensation coming through from Starburst’s tent. Starburst was evidently having a particularly bad nightmare. Shining Armor got up and left the tent. He thought he should check on Cadence, just to make sure she was alright and wasn’t having a similar night to Starburst. He went over to the fillies’ tent and cautiously opened the flap. He stared. Cadence’s sleeping bag was empty. Where was she?
Shining Armor’s worry turned to suspicion when he noticed Thora’s sleeping bag was also empty. He turning his head to see Thora emerging from the trees, with a smirk plastered across her face, walking back towards the fillies’ tent, followed by Lightning Dust, who was a short distance behind.
As Thora approached the flap, she stopped in slight surprise. Lightning Dust stopped too. Shining Armor glared furiously. Before Thora knew what was happening, Shining Armor had attacked her and pinned her to the ground. Lightning Dust ran for it.
‘Where is she!’ Shining Armor growled, ‘What did you do with her!’
‘I don’t know,’ Thora replied, with an innocent smile.
‘Don’t give me that rubbish!’ Shining Armor bellowed, ‘What have you done with Cadence!’
The volume of Shining Armor’s voice had awoken all of the fillies and a few of the colts, who had come racing out to see what was going on.
‘Maybe the Seekers got her,’ Thora suggested casually.
‘Or maybe,’ came the angry voice of Millie, ‘somepony played a nasty trick on her!’
‘Well,’ Thora replied slowly, ‘you have to give Lightning Dust some credit . . .’
There was outrage.
‘This is a new low, Thora,’ Shining Armor snarled, ‘even for you!’
Many of the others nodded in agreement, the others who didn’t, were too busy glaring at Thora. Millie slipped between the tents while no-pony was watching.
‘You’ve gone too far this time, Thora!’ Trixie exclaimed to Thora’s shock and surprise.
Everypony suddenly turned their heads, a noise had erupted which sounded suspiciously like a struggle. In a few moments, Millie emerged, holding a struggling Lightning Dust.
‘I’ve got our second culprit!’ Millie called over.
No-pony’s expression could match Trixie’s. She looked sad, shocked, betrayed and rather hurt.
Spitfire and Soarin’ offered to hold Thora down while Shining Armor woke Starburst who was clearly still having a nightmare when Shining Armor entered the tent.
‘No!’ Starburst was yelling, ‘How could you do this to her! You monster! I thought you were my friend!’
Shining Armor shook Starburst awake. Shining Armor gave him a chance to pull himself together before telling him what had happened.
‘We’d better move fast,’ said Starburst quickly, as soon as Shining Armor had finished, ‘Seekers or no Seekers, it’s not safe to be out in the forest at this time of night on your own.’
As they left the tent, Shining Armor heard Trixie ending her friendship with Lightning Dust. Starburst could tell Shining Armor was very worried. He put a hoof on his shoulder.
‘I’m not letting another filly be harmed on my watch,’ Starburst said to himself.
*
At first, Cadence had wondered why the Seekers didn’t just get it over with, certain that they knew where she was, then she thought they must not have been as close as she had thought, but then a thought had occurred to her.
Thora. Thora’s special talent was thunder; she could easily have created that effect. Cadence then realized that Thora had probably dragged her from the tent as she slept, and, now that she thought about it, the voice calling her name had been strangely familiar. Thora had set the whole thing up, however, the knowledge was no use to her now as Cadence now had another problem. She couldn’t pull herself up, or even try to climb up any further, but the worst of it was, she couldn’t hold on much longer.
She sighed. Why did it always have to be her that needed help? It was beginning to become rather irritating, not to mention boring.
She could hear hooves approaching the top of cliff. She sighed again. It was probably coming to have a good laugh or something.
‘Cadence!’ called a voice she recognized as Shining Armor’s.
‘Shining Armor!’ she called back. He was at the cliff edge in an instant. ‘I can’t hold on much longer!’ Cadence yelled.
‘Don’t worry!’ came the voice of Starburst, ‘I’m going to fly down to you!’
‘I think I’m going to slip!’ Cadence responded fearfully, attempting not to look down at the ground.
‘I’m coming!’ replied Starburst.
He took to his wings, and flew down to her.
‘Just grab on around my neck and everything will be alright.’
Cadence’s hooves shook. She was barely able to hold on with both hooves. She was scared that she might fall if she let go.
‘You won’t fall!’ Starburst insisted, ‘Be brave!’
Cadence gritted her teeth and reached a trembling hoof towards him.
‘That’s it,’ said Starburst encouragingly, ‘fine filly,’
Her left foreleg was around his neck, with one last breath of courage, she let go of the cliff, closed her eyes, and grabbed onto Starburst. When she opened her eyes, Starburst was smiling at her, and holding her in his forelegs.
‘Well done,’ Starburst said.
‘Starburst flew back up and landed safely on the cliff top. Everypony was relieved and happy that Cadence was okay, well, except Thora, who was scowling slightly, and perhaps Lightning Dust. Cadence took one look at Shining Armor, and pressed her nose to his. Ignoring the giggling that followed, they rubbed noses. Starburst smiled.
‘Make sure you look after her,’ Starburst told Shining Armor.
*
‘We should have done this in the first place,’ Shining Armor said in a muffled voice, as he was dragging his sleeping bag from the tent, ‘I should’ve insisted.’
‘I just didn’t want anypony to work out how much she’d got to me,’ Cadence mumbled back, as she dragged her sleeping bag over to his, ‘I should’ve done what was best for me.’
They both got into their sleeping bags. They felt very tired. They looked up at the sky and could see that dawn was approaching. Cadence was just glad that she was still in one piece. She reached out a hoof towards Shining Armor who placed his hoof on hers. By the time the sun was up, they were both fast asleep.
‘Alicorns had a purpose for coming into being,’ Celestia continued, ‘the first alicorns were born to unicorn couples who had great ability and good hearts. They were special, often referred to as the ‘chosen ones’ in the early days, but like you, Cadence, they were all mortal. Their purpose didn’t become clear until a few generations of them had come and gone.’
‘Why did it take a few generations?’ Cadence asked.
‘Great ability and a good heart isn’t necessarily all that is required,’ Celestia replied, ‘there are other things that only time could tell if they and their offspring had.’
‘What like?’ Cadence inquired.
‘Like working out how best to use their powers, many of the early alicorns did not pass their alicorndom onto their foal because they allowed their abilities to corrupt their good hearts or they used their powers selfishly and refused to help other when they could easily. Alicorns also had to adapt over a few generations to become immortal. At first, they didn’t realize they were immortal at all. It took a while. Once there were a good number of immortal alicorns, unicorns became unable to produce mortal alicorns, never mind immortal ones.’
‘Why was that?’ Cadence wondered out loud.
‘It was just nature’s way,’ Celestia explained, ‘there were enough of us, if unicorns continued to produce alicorns, even if it took generations for their offspring to become immortal, there would have become too many of us, because an immortal alicorn death was so rare, and of course, we can produce more immortal alicorns by breeding among ourselves or promoting unicorns worthy of joining us.’
‘So what was the purpose?’ Cadence asked, ‘And what’s this about unicorns becoming alicorns?’
‘To preserve knowledge, great amounts of it over time, which could be then used to help ponykind,’ Celestia told her, ‘that was the purpose. You must understand, Cadence, that alicorns were brought into being for the benefit of all other ponies. There were all different types of pony life being brought about through adaptation at this time too.’
After a few moments, Celestia began to answer Cadence’s second question.
‘It is incredibly rare for an unicorn to become an mortal alicorn, there have only been a couple since the beginning that have then progressed onto being made immortal,’ Celestia said, ‘it is most common for a unicorn like this to be the offspring of an immortal alicorn, but even then it is an amazing feat. If the unicorn is not the offspring of an immortal alicorn, then they will be the offspring of two unicorns, that, at the beginning, would have been able to produce mortal alicorn foals. In both cases, the unicorn will be destined to become an alicorn, and play their part in making the world a better place for ponies.’
‘I don’t understand,’ Cadence murmured, ‘if a unicorn is destined to be an alicorn, why weren’t they just born as one in the first place?’
‘Maybe this is a bit beyond you at your age,’ Celestia responded, ‘but I’ll try to explain. You were meant to be an alicorn from the start, or you wouldn’t have been born one. Some ponies have no real destiny besides what their cutie mark is telling them, (You may have noticed yourself that someponies’ cutie marks are more specific than others?) and it won’t really impact a large amount of ponies what they do, presuming they don’t become malcontents, but for those ponies that do have a specific destiny it does matter greatly. A unicorn, who is destined to become an alicorn, did not have everything required from the day they were born. There are many ways for such a unicorn to become an alicorn, it may require them to study, learn specific things or become a more rounded pony overall, for example.’
Something had just struck Cadence.
‘Auntie Tia, you keep referring to unicorns rather than ponies,’ Cadence said, ‘is that because . . ?’
‘Anypony can physically be made into a mortal alicorn, but it can be very dangerous if it is the wrong time and especially if it was never meant to be.’ Celestia explained, ‘Your mother made that mistake with your father.’
Cadence stared.
‘She suspected that the three of you were in danger to a certain extent from near your birth,’ Celestia went on, ‘being inexperienced, and not really knowing much about it, she turned your father into a mortal alicorn, thinking it might lessen the danger you were in. It was a terrible mistake, a pegasus can never become a true alicorn, though they can survive the transformation, unlike earth and prairie ponies. It’s quite simple why it can never be, magic is a skill you’re born with, the skill and control cannot be transferred, unlike a pair of wings, which are essentially are some extra muscles, bones and feathers. Non magical ponies may be able to handle a spell which has nothing to do with unicorn magic, but no more, unless they also happen to be part sky pony but that almost never happens as sky ponies hardly ever marry somepony who isn’t also a sky pony. Your father simply couldn’t handle or control the magic he had been given.’
‘Are there any unicorns who are likely to become alicorns around now?’ Cadence inquired.
‘Well, there might be. I have made mistakes in the past, thinking somepony had it in them but they lacked something they couldn’t get hold of but I think you know of a unicorn who was meant to be but had her destiny interrupted.’
Cadence thought for a moment.
‘True Star?’ Cadence said hesitantly. Celestia nodded.
*
‘Does becoming an alicorn always hurt?’ Cadence asked Dusk, ‘I mean, Auntie Tia told me that earth and prairie ponies can’t survive it.’
‘No,’ her grandpa replied kindly, ‘it only hurts if it was never meant to be.’
‘What other types of pony are there, Grandpa?’ Cadence inquired, ‘Can any of them become alicorns?’
‘Well, Cadie,’ Dusk said, ‘sky ponies can’t be because they have magical ability and can fly already, although it relies on their small amount of magical ability, also because both of these skills work in a different way from a pegasus or a unicorn. Prairie ponies, as you mentioned, can’t, they can do magical stuff with potions and stuff very well but nothing beyond that. Flutter ponies can fly but can only do a small amount of magic with the aid of their ruler, who is known as a fluttercorn, as she has flutter pony wings and a unicorn’s horn, but she is the offspring of Silver Swirl so she’s probably one of a kind.’
‘Who’s Silver Swirl?’ Cadence asked curiously.
‘I’ll have to explain what a diamond pony is first,’ Dusk said with a laugh, ‘Silver Swirl was the only foal of the Immortal One but is part diamond pony, so . . .’
‘You don’t know? I would have thought, nevermind, I’ll explain,’ Dusk told her, ‘the Immortal One was the first immortal alicorn, no-pony knows what his real name was, he was always referred to as that. He started the Union Of The Alicorns and was essentially the leader of all alicorns. He had the ability, among other things, to produce a foal without having a mate; he passed this ability onto his only foal, Silver Swirl. He was the first immortal alicorn death, no-pony knows exactly what happened, but it seems all the other alicorns were magically sharing their found knowledge into him so he would know everything, but it became too much for him, mentally and physically, rumors say he died by exploding in some shape or form. Silver Swirl was never meant to rule over the alicorns, she had three unicorn friends who had been given diamond pony abilities by her father, but I still haven’t explained about diamond ponies, have I? Diamond ponies are in many ways are on a par with immortal alicorns, they do not have wings, but they can fly to a certain extent, they have a diamond shape on their forehead which is effectively is their equivalent to a unicorns horn. They are quite a bit rarer than immortal alicorns but you are more likely to see one as those few who do travel tend to get about a lot. Many of them have greater magic than immortal alicorns. Many of them are not immortal but if they survive foalhood, they often live to about two hundred without being given more time, as it is known.’
‘What do you mean?’ Cadence asked.
‘Diamond ponies, are given extra years to prove themselves worthy of being made immortal or of being given more time to live,’ Dusk explained, ‘Not much is known about them though, as they mainly keep to themselves. They very rarely marry ponies who aren’t also diamond ponies. Silver Swirl is their princess.’
*
‘So Dusk was telling you about Silver Swirl?’ Aquila inquired.
‘Yes,’ Cadence responded, ‘but he didn’t really get round to telling me much. I don’t know who her three friends were and he said she was part diamond pony . . .’
‘Well I can answer that,’ Aquila said in what was supposed to be bright tone, ‘Silver Swirl had a unicorn’s horn, a diamond pony’s diamond and a flutter pony’s wings, daintiness and delicate body. She wasn’t as small as a full grown mortal alicorn but no-where near as big as a full grown immortal alicorn. She had silver markings on her, silver eyes and hair, and her mane and tail were filled with stars; her hooves were silver too.’
‘Did you meet her then?’ inquired a very interested Cadence.
‘Yes,’ Aquila replied with a small, sad smile, ‘while I was pregnant with True Star. Silver Swirl blessed me and her. And then . . !’
Aquila looked like she was only just holding back tears. After a few moments, she managed to pull herself together.
‘And then she said, beware of a stallion who is black as shadow and red as blood. She can . . . she can see the future, you see . . .’ Aquila murmured.
‘Did she . . ? Did she say anything else?’ Cadence asked cautiously.
‘She said royalty would aid her in rebirth. I always presumed she was referring to True Star becoming an alicorn.’ Aquila added.
‘I was going to ask you about that,’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘how did you know she was meant to become one?’
‘I knew she was special from a very early age,’ Aquila began, ‘and not just because she was my little filly. What Silver Swirl had said, and the fact she blessed us, had me suspicious before she was even born. Silver Swirl blessing anypony is very rare. When she was quite young, I took True Star to a small gathering of immortal alicorn and their mortal offspring. I got a lot of positive comments about her there and when she gained her cutie mark, I began to be almost certain that she was destined to be an alicorn. After training her a bit to find out her potential, I announced my intensions at the Union Of The Alicorns. She was so close to it too when she died.’
‘So who were Silver Swirl’s friends?’ Cadence inquired timidly.
‘Oh, look at me rambling on about True Star when I’m supposed to be answering your questions about Silver Swirl.’ Aquila exclaimed; there was almost some humor in her voice. ‘She had three friends, they were not immortal, but were meant to live about a thousand years at least, two mares, Golden Glow and Copper Glow, and one stallion, Silver Glow. No-pony knows if it’s true, but many believe Silver Swirl loved Silver Glow but everypony knows that he and Golden Glow fell in love and left together, not, however, before Copper Glow betrayed them all. Many ponies think Copper Glow was probably the first malcontent, or one of the first at least; no-pony really knows what happened to her. No-pony really knows what became of Silver Glow and Golden Glow. The three of them were supposed to support and advise Silver Swirl.’
‘Have there been any other almost immortal unicorns?’ Cadence asked her.
‘There is one,’ Aquila answered slowly, ‘have you ever heard of the Morning family?’
Cadence shook her head.
‘They were an old pony family,’ Aquila began, ‘Morning Frost was a nice enough stallion, liked by many who lived near, loved by his two younger sisters, but one day, everything changed, no-pony knows how it happened, and it wasn’t realized what had happened until ages later, some think Copper Glow may have been involved, anyway, his personality was stripped from him, most of it, all that remained was evil and any other traits such as cunning, which might be useful. This is unnatural, and wouldn’t have been permanent if the evil inside him, which he had never used before, hadn’t created a sort of shield which wouldn’t allow his other traits back in.’
‘What happened then?’ Cadence inquired, aghast.
‘He essentially became immortal because without those missing part of himself, he was unable to die or even seem to get older,’ Aquila said, ‘it must have been some powerful sort of magic, or some experiment gone wrong. No-pony knows exactly why he can’t die, because it still doesn’t make much sense, but the fact is he can’t, at least, not until he is defeated and put into such a state that the other parts of his personality can return. As soon as this happens, he will probably die.’
‘What did he do?’ Cadence asked, unsure if she really wanted to know.
‘Oh, he’s done terrible things,’ Aquila replied, ‘he hasn’t always succeeded though, but he has a knack for getting away when he gets caught. The spooky thing about him is he knows how to act as if he’s his normal self. This act foaled everypony, especially his youngest sister, but his other sister was rather suspicious and began to try to convince everypony there was something wrong. He secretly enslaved his youngest sister who was too frightened to tell anypony, and then, just before his other sister’s wedding, Morning Frost arrived with his youngest sister, who he had put in chains. He told the bride that unless she placed herself on the altar and allowed him to kill her, her younger sister would be killed in her place.’
‘What happened?’ Cadence inquired quickly.
‘The poor mare was prepared to go through with his demands.’ Aquila responded, ‘Luckily, Morning Frost had misjudged the time slightly, and everypony else arrived on the scene much more quickly than he had thought but, of course, he managed to escape.’
‘Auntie Tia said that the first alicorns had great ability and good hearts,’ Cadence said, ‘so are all immortal alicorns good?’
‘All immortal alicorn feel it is their duty to be good and help other ponies as much as they can,’ Aquila told her, ‘we all have flaws, some more than others, but . . .’
Cadence waited.
‘There is one exception,’ Aquila said, ‘Veneficia, she definitely is evil, none of us have managed to figure out how she came about. Any alicorn can go bad, it is very rare though, but Veneficia was born bad. I had never seen her before she turned up to the Union Of The Alicorns once; she was the only one who was against prohibiting the use of stripping away alicorndom. Ironically, she’s the only one who ought to lose hers.’
‘You can do that!’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘You can . .!’
‘Most alicorns chose to forget how to do it, performed spells on each other. The ones of us that didn’t do that, were the ones who thought we might need to know the spell to reinstate alicorndom,’ Aquila went on, ‘using this punishment wasn’t just a humiliation and safety measure, it meant that these ponies had to start their life all over again, would have to face the fact that they would probably die and they would have magic pent inside them that they couldn’t get out which caused all sorts of damage.’
‘What like?’ Cadence asked.
‘You may have noticed there are quite a few pony subspecies around.’ Aquila said.
Cadence nodded.
‘Most of them were caused by this punishment,’ Aquila informed her, ‘the trapped magic worked away at their bodies and mind, changing them. One of the troubles was other alicorns didn’t necessarily make the best judgments who to use this on even when they were doing it as a general punishment. I’m sorry to say mortal alicorns did the worst out of it as only one immortal alicorn was needed to do it to a mortal alicorn. The punishment was invented in a time of suspicion, after alicorns had stopped going round in herds. After a few times of going to the Union Of The Alicorns, the suspicion disappeared but the punishment lived on for a while.’
‘Whose idea was it to stop this punishment?’ Cadence inquired, ‘was it anypony important or . . ?’
‘You’ll never believe this,’ Aquila replied, ‘but it was Agalma’s idea.’
Cadence gaped.
‘I know,’ Aquila replied, almost smiling, ‘hard to believe her of all ponies cared but the odd thing about her is, that when everypony else seemed to hate mortal offspring she was okay with it, and now everypony’s okay with it, she’s so against it. She changed so much, in fact, I wish I knew why.’
Cadence wasn’t going to make the same mistake as she had almost made last time. She needed somepony to go with her who was strong, reliable, and could effectively act as a body guard. She would’ve asked Shining Armor but he was out on patrol and wouldn’t be enough on his own in any case. She needed somepony like . . .
Cadence caught sight of a bunch of Royal Guard who were talking to Starburst. The guards seemed to be rather occupied but Starburst only really appeared to be with them because they had stopped him to ask for some advice. Once they had finished talking, Cadence was about to approach Starburst, but Starburst approached her.
‘Your aunt wishes to see you,’ Starburst told her.
‘Can I speak to you afterwards?’ Cadence asked him, ‘I kind of need your help.’
‘Of course,’ he replied gently, but sounded a little concerned.
Cadence wondered why Celestia wanted to see her, but she was also anxious. She didn’t have any time to waste.
When Cadence entered the room, Celestia turned her head.
‘I can tell you’re in a bit of a hurry,’ Celestia commented, ‘I keep it quick, shall I?’
Cadence trotted over to her. Cadence knew that her aunt, and most of the Royal Guard, were very occupied today. It was no use asking them to help her, and as there was a least a little risk, she couldn’t really ask anypony else. Besides, even if she did ask, and they agreed to help her, she would need to leave immediately.
It was very likely that Fleur de Lis had got herself into trouble. Her parents didn’t seem particularly worried, and had told Cadence that Fleur de Lis had been in the attic and then had gone out. Cadence, however, had found something in her friend’s room which made her think there was more to her going out than her parents thought.
‘Now, Cadence,’ Celestia began, ‘I have been thinking about your safety.’
Cadence felt suddenly guilty. Pretty soon she would be taking another risk. She tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that she was, at least, being a bit more sensible about it this time.
‘While I was looking through that goblin treasure earlier,’ Celestia went on, ‘I found this.’
Celestia summoned over a small crown, using magic, and showed it to Cadence.
‘It is well known,’ Celestia continued, ‘that wearing something that was originally owned by goblins will ward off others. It is presumed by goblins that you have waged war against them and triumphed.’
‘But they must realize that it doesn’t always happen that way,’ Cadence responded.
‘They are too cowardly to take the risk,’ Celestia explained, ‘and it might keep off some other creatures too.’
‘It’s lovely,’ Cadence exclaimed.
Celestia quickly put the small crown on Cadence’s eager head. Cadence hurried over to a full length mirror, which happened to be close by, and started admiring herself.
‘Wait until Shining Armor sees,’ Cadence giggled.
She had somehow managed to forget about Fleur de Lis, and how she had entered her room to find a number of family photos on her bed, until she came out and saw Starburst waiting for her. Each photo had contained a certain young mare. She looked quite a bit like an older version of Fleur de Lis. The main thing that made her stand out was her incredibly curly and frizzy mane and tail.
As Cadence had shifted curiously through the photos, she had come across a funeral invitation with the mare’s picture on the front. Her name had been Curly-Wurly. As Cadence’s suspicions had grown, she had found Fleur de Lis’s primary piece of evidence. It was another photo of the young mare, but she was not alone. She was sitting on a swing chair in the forelegs of a familiar stallion who had small yellow eyes, blood red hair and a jet black coat.
Cadence was almost completely certain that Fleur de Lis had rushed off to seek revenge. That poor mare probably would have been Fleur de Lis’s sister. Cadence knew she had to stop her. If she had gone off seeking revenge against Raven Mocker, she could be in great danger. The rage boiling up inside her would make her act anything but sensible.
‘Now, my dear,’ Starburst began, ‘how can I be of assistance?’
‘Can we go somewhere a little more private?’ Cadence asked hesitantly.
Starburst gave a nod and led her to a small building.
‘This where I stay while I’m in Canterlot doing things for the Royal Guard,’ Starburst explained, before unlocking the door using magic.
Cadence was momentarily confused, then she noticed the diamond shaped bump on Starburst’s lower forehead.
‘Oh,’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘are you a diamond pony?’
Starburst was slightly surprised but gave a small smile.
‘I’m half diamond pony,’ Starburst told her, ‘my mother was a diamond pony, and my father was a pegasus pony. My sisters are earth ponies though.’
‘I didn’t think diamond ponies married other types of ponies,’ Cadence commented.
‘It’s such a rare occurrence,’ Starburst replied, ‘that I very much doubt that there will be any other families like mine in my lifetime.’
They walked inside. The interior was rather bare, and the little furniture there was, was old, tatty, and probably in need of a good dusting. It was very evident that Starburst was still far from able to cope. A mirror in the corner of the room was the only thing that looked vaguely dusted. There was a photograph of a mare nudged into the corner of it but Cadence couldn’t really see it from the distance she was from it.
‘I’m sorry about how dusty everything is,’ Starburst said a little awkwardly, ‘I probably should have tried to tidy up a bit . . .’
It was obvious to Cadence that Starburst needed help. She made up her mind to insist on doing the dusting for him once she’d helped Fleur de Lis. After a moment, Starburst waited patiently for Cadence to begin.
‘A friend of mine has rushed off,’ Cadence said, trying to keep her problem specific enough that it could be understood, but, at the same time, not give away too much, ‘I think she discovered something and has gone off seeking revenge. I need to find her before she does something stupid, but I’d be putting myself in great danger if I went by myself, or had no-pony to protect me.’
Starburst got it straight away.
‘So you essentially need a body guard,’ Starburst responded, ‘Do you have any idea where she went?’
‘I know almost exactly,’ Cadence replied, relieved it had been so easy to persuade him, ‘if she hasn’t gone there, she’s either been captured, or has rushed off for a completely different reason.’
Starburst nodded thoughtfully.
‘You’d better lead the way then,’ Starburst told her. ‘We’d better keep out of sight though,’ he added, ‘in case anypony has any issues with our quest.’
Cadence nodded gratefully.
They managed to sneak out of the main gates unnoticed. As they walked along, Cadence noticed that Starburst was unnaturally vigilant and alert, but, then again, maybe he just saw that as fulfilling the requirements of her request.
*
They continued to walk. Cadence was glad that Starburst was understanding enough not to ask for more specific information about what they were doing, where they were going, and who they might face.
As Cadence was thinking this, she gradually became aware of some odd noises coming from above. Starburst looked up abruptly. They seemed to be getting louder and closer. It was only moments later, moments too late, that Cadence realized what it was. A landslide.
‘Run!’ Starburst yelled, clearly surprise and furious with himself for not realizing earlier what was happening.
Cadence moved too late and too slowly to avoid the falling earth. Starburst was lucky, he had been walking slightly ahead of Cadence, on the lookout for danger, which, he had assumed, would be ahead of them, rather than behind, and, although he was no-where near as fit as he had once been, his training in the Royal Guard had given him the speed he had needed.
Panicked and breathless, Starburst rushed over to the very large pile of dirt and rocks. He began to dig recklessly. Oh, please don’t let me have indirectly killed this poor filly too! Starburst thought desperately. Suddenly, he could feel something moving not far beneath his hooves. He almost dared to breathe. He had to dig faster. She couldn’t breathe under there!
It was lucky Cadence had managed to run this small distance before she had been enveloped by the tumbling mass of earth. With one last mighty effort from Starburst’s hooves, Cadence was more or less able to breathe again.
‘Oh, thank goodness,’ Starburst gasped, ‘are you alight?’
‘This stuff is crushing me,’ Cadence managed to utter, ‘I can barely breathe.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Starburst told her, ‘I’m so sorry. I let you down. Please, if you could just have a tiny bit more patience, and hold on, I’m certain I can get you out of there safely.’
Cadence tried to nod, but it ended up being a wince. The diamond on Starburst’s head began to glow, a little like a unicorn’s horn when magic is being used, and he slowly, and very carefully, began to shift some of the debris around Cadence, using magic. It was clearly a struggle for him, and something he wasn’t at all used to doing. Eventually, Starburst managed to make a gap that was steady, and big enough for him to help Cadence escape through.
‘I’m sorry it took so long,’ Starburst said, as Cadence was gasping for air, ‘we’ll have to find another way back. I think you said your friend’s a unicorn? And then there’s your damaged wings. I couldn’t carry you over both at once, which could be problematic if we were followed.’
Cadence nodded, but felt rather apprehensive. They had almost got lost twice already and she only knew how to get where they were going from Raven Mocker’s directions. She didn’t really know the area at all.
Cadence’s wings were healed well enough for her not to need them bound up anymore, but it wasn’t worth taking the risk of flying with them yet. Luckily, the landslide hadn’t given Cadence any further injuries.
As they walked, and were getting closer and closer, Cadence noticed something come over Starburst. His ears flopped down. He suddenly looked cold and shivery.
‘What’s wrong?’ Cadence asked quietly.
‘It’s nothing,’ Starburst replied unconvincingly, ‘I just have some bad memories from around here . . .’
‘Cadence?’ came a voice, ‘Is that you?’
‘Lis!’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘I thought you had . . !’
‘I thought better of it,’ Fleur de Lis replied, walking over, ‘remembered what happened last time.’
Fleur de Lis caught sight of Starburst and her face went bright red.
‘Oh, this is Starburst,’ Cadence told her friend, ‘he helped me look for you.’
‘Is he a royal guard?’ Fleur de Lis asked Cadence quickly.
‘I used to be,’ Starburst told her.
Fleur de Lis began to fiddle with her mane.
‘Oh, Cadence,’ Fleur de Lis whispered excitably, ‘he’s so hansom! Wherever did you get him!’
Cadence gave a small sigh. This wasn’t exactly the perfect time for Fleur de Lis to get a huge crush.
‘We’d better get moving before anything finds us,’ Starburst told the two fillies, trying to hide his uneasy feelings about the place.
Starburst doubted the fillies had any idea how close to real danger they actually were and he was also worried that he might start having flash-backs.
‘Is he single?’ Fleur de Lis asked Cadence in a low voice, as they began to walk back.
‘I don’t know,’ Cadence responded.
She thought that, with Starburst in such a state, it was pretty likely, but, then again, there had been that photograph . . . At any rate, she wasn’t going to tell Fleur de Lis that. It wasn’t like she needed any encouragement.
Cadence naturally walked on Starburst’s right side, and had hoped her friend would walk on her other side. No such luck.
‘I’m not letting you have him all to yourself,’ Fleur de Lis said quietly to Cadence, as she took Starburst’s left side, walking uncomfortably close to him, batting her eyelashes every so often. The idea that Starburst had come with Cadence to potentially rescue her had clearly exacerbated Fleur de Lis’s crush.
Cadence gave a groan. Starburst was clearly far from interested but Fleur de Lis was hardly the type to notice or give up too quickly.
‘He’s not your type, Lis!’ Cadence muttered behind Starburst’s back.
‘Yes he is,’ Fleur de Lis stated.
‘He’s too old for you,’ Cadence whispered irritably.
‘I’ll be a mare in less than year,’ Fleur de Lis retorted.
‘He has mental health problems!’ Cadence exclaimed as quietly as she could.
‘He seems fine to me,’ said Fleur de Lis, her opinion clearly unaltered.
Cadence was beginning to feel rather annoyed.
‘Well he might seem okay at the moment . . !’ Cadence began to splutter.
‘Do either of you have any idea where we are?’ Starburst interrupted.
The two fillies looked up, then looked around, then looked at each.
Cadence gave a shiver. The last time she had been lost was when Thora and Lightning Dust had played that nasty trick on her. Starburst noticed this and was rather concerned. He put a foreleg around her.
‘Don’t worry, Cadence, we’ll be alright,’ Starburst told her soothingly, ‘we’ll get out of this.’
Cadence tried to smile. Fleur de Lis looked on rather jealously.
‘We’ll get to a settlement sooner or later,’ Starburst continued, ‘and, I suppose, I might, I could ask for directions.’
He didn’t sound too keen on the idea. Cadence quickly realized that Starburst was naturally very shy.
‘I knew Starburst would save us!’ Fleur de Lis cried, jumping up in the air. Cadence gave a snort and rolled her eyes.
*
It seemed like they had been walking for ages. Starburst had flown up at least a few times to try and gauge which direction they should go in. He wished it had occurred to him to bring a compass or a map. Cadence sighed heavily. She hadn’t lost faith in Starburst but she was tired and hungry.
The air suddenly became very cold.
‘There’s snow up ahead,’ Starburst remarked in surprise.
Cadence stared. They couldn’t be as far as the arctic north surely? No, they couldn’t be. They would have passed Crystal Town, and the weather conditions had changed far too drastically in far too short a time. So where were they?
The three of them sat down for a moment under an almost bare tree, each as puzzled as each other. As they sat there, Cadence thought she heard something move. She looked back. Nothing. The other two were too deep in thought to notice her movement, or anything else for that matter.
Another sound. Perhaps a cracking branch, but it was closer this time. Cadence looked again. No-pony was there. She looked at her hooves. If there was somepony there, then they were probably hiding after each noise they made. She needed to catch them off guard. She turned her head a third time. Three foal-sized shapes stopped in their tracks. Cadence was overcome by a fearful impulse.
‘Goblins!’ Cadence yelled.
Starburst and Fleur de Lis were instantly on their hooves. Cadence wanted to get as far away as possible, as soon as possible.
‘Wait!’ a desperate female voice yelled, ‘we won’t hurt you!’
‘We’re not goblins!’ a second female voice shouted, ‘we’re elves!’
‘What’s the difference?’ Cadence inquired nervously.
‘We may be the same size,’ a male voice said, ‘but apart from that, we are complete opposites. Goblins are our worst enemies!’
They could now see the three creatures a lot more clearly, and it now really showed how different these creatures actually were from goblins. Cadence really wished she had managed to finish that book she had been reading the day she had met those goblins. She probably would have known about elves. Of course, paying more attention in in her classes might have been of help (not that she considered it her fault that many of her lectures were so dull and boring, not to mention long).
The elves seemed to be various shades of light brown with a slightly grayish hue about them; their faces looked like those of very old ponies: there were quite a few layers of baggy skin and a large amount of smile lines and wrinkles. Their eyes were slightly smaller than those of a pony and the ears were longer and thinner than most ponies’, dropping down to various extents. What little there was of a mane and tail was rather short and very thin. Cadence wouldn’t have been surprised if these creatures often forgot they had manes and tails at all. Other parts of their bodies did look rather aged and fragile, but no-where near as old as their faces looked. Now Cadence thought about it, they did have rather kindly faces.
‘We didn’t mean to scare you,’ the male elf continued, ‘we were wondering if you could help us.’
Cadence started to feel suspicious again, remembering how nice those goblins had been to her at first.
‘We couldn’t help noticing that crown on your head,’ said the first female elf.
Cadence jumped. So did Fleur de Lis. She had been too occupied with gazing at Starburst to notice Cadence’s crown and Cadence had completely forgotten about it.
‘I’m afraid I may not be of much use to you,’ Cadence told them feebly, ‘it was my aunt that overcame the goblins. I’m only wearing this crown for protection purposes.’
Cadence then realized that, of course, she should have known they weren’t goblins. If they had been, they would never have dared to approach her in the first place.
‘Our problem is this,’ the male elf began, ‘Elves and goblins are ultimate foes. Nothing can change that. It basically comes down to the fact that elves will always be good, and goblins will always be evil. A bunch of goblins took it upon themselves to set up camp in our land.’
‘But goblins can’t live in Equestria,’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘my aunt made a point of making it a law after the trouble we had with them!’
Cadence had found out recently that she had been far from the only one affected by the goblins’ intrusion.
‘This bunch can’t have known that,’ said the second female elf, ‘they would never have dared enter if they had.’
‘The hate between us and the goblins has attracted the attention of windigos,’ explained the first female elf.
‘There are two schools of thought concerning what should be done about the situation,’ the male elf told Cadence, ‘the first says getting rid of the goblins as soon as possible is the answer. The main points against this are our numbers are quite evenly matched, which means a big battle potentially, and also that many believe that the goblins actually want to leave but can’t because of the windigos’ weather. The second says we should deal with the windigos first, as they are causing the most damage. Main points against this are that we need to get rid of the goblins anyway, if we don’t get rid of the goblins fast enough more windigos will probably turn up, and, of course, we’d need some sort of love source to have a chance of getting rid of them . . .’
‘But I can help,’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘love is my special talent!’
The elves gawped at her, then looked delighted.
*
The elves lived deep underground, beneath large tree roots. Cadence couldn’t help but notice the foals running around, who only had very small lines on their faces. The foals seemed to be fascinated with Cadence’s hair.
‘It’s so thick and silky!’ cried out one foal in delight.
‘However do you keep it like that!’ asked another.
Cadence felt rather sorry for them and their small amount of thin hair. The large amount of blankets around the place made it evident that it wasn’t normally this cold, even so deep underground. Apparently, several entrances were also blocked by snow. Cadence kept being brought drinks by various enthusiastic elves.
‘Would you be able to help us get back to Canterlot after this?’ Fleur de Lis asked the male elf, ‘we are rather lost.’
‘Are you sure about this?’ Starburst, who was sitting next to Cadence, asked her with concern. Cadence gave a nod.
‘Would your dad like a drink too?’ the second female elf asked Cadence, who was, momentarily, confused.
‘Oh, he’s not my dad,’ Cadence told her, ‘Starburst is . . .’ But Cadence wasn’t really sure what Starburst actually was to her.
Fleur de Lis was rather annoyed at the idea that those elves thought her crush was old enough to be Cadence’s father.
‘Well, I must say,’ the first female elf commented, ‘they don’t look much like each other at all, now I think about it.’
‘Do you know where the windigos are based at?’ Cadence inquired.
‘There’s an old house near the edge of our territory,’ the male elf told her, ‘the last time we saw them, they were circling a small distance above it. You would probably need to get inside the house, get into the attic, and then onto the roof.’
Cadence decided she’d better enter the house alone, as going in by herself meant a much larger likelihood of retaining the element of surprise, which could be vital.
‘I’ll walk you there,’ Starburst offered, once they had studied the town map.
*
‘We seem to be doing a lot of walking today,’ Starburst commented.
‘I’m sorry about Lis,’ Cadence told Starburst, ‘she’s just a bit . . .’
‘Crazy?’ Starburst suggested, ‘some fillies do act a bit strange when they get a crush. I just wish she’d take the hint that I’m not interested.’
‘So do I,’ Cadence replied with a smile, ‘her swooning gets very irritating, very quickly.’
They had reached the gate that led up to the house. The house itself was almost completely covered in a thick layer of snow. With a great amount of effort on Starburst’s and Cadence’s part, they managed to open the gate. Fortunately, the windigos, circling above, appeared not to notice. Cadence moved forward.
The snow was very cold beneath Cadence’s hooves as she walked up, what she guessed, was the path, as quietly as she could. The only sound that she could hear was the icy wind blowing, but apart from that, there was utter silence. She couldn’t help but worry about this. The snow could easily make a crunching noise as she walked, getting noticed before she was anywhere near enough to aim or have any impact on the creatures.
On reaching the old and battered door, Cadence managed to squeeze through a large hole in it. Once inside, Cadence tried to shake the water out of her coat and wring it out of her mane and tail as best she could,
Right, she was in. Now all she had to do was make her way to the attic, which she would most likely have to do mainly by touch. A light switch being flicked on or even her horn glowing might attract unwanted attention. The only sources of light came from the hole in the door and the occasional window.
Cadence stood still, allowing her eyes to get used to the dark. Cadence found a staircase sooner than she had expected and hoped the steps wouldn’t creak as she ascended them. She placed her right front hoof carefully on the first step. No sound. She did the same for the other steps as she went up, and ending up jumping the last one, which she was sure would have made a noise.
Cadence couldn’t prevent herself from feeling rather sad. This house was so much like her old home with her mother. Was it in a similar state to this house now? Was it worse? Cadence wondered how long it had taken ponies to realize that her and her mom were gone. Or, she had gone, at least. Now she thought about it, her mother had still been alive and lying there when she had last seen her. Cadence hadn’t really thought about it since that night until now.
She told me to run, Cadence remembered abruptly, she was so near to death yet she told me to run. But what had she been meant to be running from?
Cadence’s attention snapped back. As far as she knew, her old home had not had an attic, so the similarities weren’t of much help. Cadence shivered. It was so cold. It was so draughty. The rooms were filled with cobwebs and everything was covered in dust. As Cadence looked into one of the neglected rooms, a bedroom, it looked like, she noticed a large panel in the ceiling. That must be the entrance to the attic. She entered the room. It would’ve been easy to get up there if she were able to fly.
As Cadence was trying to think of the best way to move the panel and get up to the attic, a slightly open drawer caught her eye. As if drawn to it, she went over without a second thought. When she opened the drawer, she found a very old piece of paper, so old that it could’ve been a thousand years old. It was rolled up and Cadence thought that it was most likely an unsent letter. It was a miracle it had survived so long. Intrigued, and completely forgetting about the windigos, Cadence took the piece of paper out and unrolled it. She then went over to a window so she could read it more easily.
Dear [ink too smudged to read name]
It is very important you don’t put this down upon seeing that it is I who wrote it. I know your feelings changed after what I did to you, and I know you never cared for her, but you also never really knew her, and you were still her father. She is the reason for me writing this letter. Our daughter is dead. I could do nothing for her. It was He who was responsible, you know who I mean. Very few ponies know what has become of her and the funeral is to be held secretly. There is nothing you can do for me but you and your fiancée are welcome to come if you desire.
Agalma
Cadence stared. Agalma? Agalma! The fact such the letter had survived was one thing, but the fact it was from her mortal alicorn hating grandmother . . ! It was far, far too old to be about her own mother’s death, Cadence decided. But that must mean that Agalma had had another daughter who had died, and she had been murdered, Cadence realized. Why had no-pony told her? This immortal alicorn would have been another aunt to her. She would have thought she would have been told of an immortal alicorn death as close to her as this.
And who was this ‘He’? The only ‘He’ Cadence knew of was King Sombra, but Cadence doubted that even he could manage to kill an immortal alicorn.
Cadence suddenly remembered the windigos. She took one last glance at the letter. She would take it with her later if she got the chance, and give it to Celestia when she got back to Canterlot. Cadence closed the drawer, and began to push the chest of drawers towards the attic entrance. Luckily, it was surprisingly light.
When she had got it where she wanted it, Cadence climbed onto the bed, and then, onto the chest of drawers. Balancing mainly on her back legs, Cadence used her forelegs to reach up and move the panel above. With more effort still, Cadence pulled herself up into the attic above. She gasped for breath. Even if they had had the needed love source, no elf could have got this far alone.
Cadence picked herself up and looked around for access to the roof. She had expected it to be a window, but then she caught sight of a ladder. She went up it, and found a small trap door at the top, which had a firm bolt on it. Using magic, Cadence unbolted it and was quickly subject to a powerful, icy wind. She hurried outside.
As Cadence looked up, staring at the windigos, she realized she had made no plans what so ever for tackling them. The windigos stopped their circling, and stared down at her, narrowing their eyes. Suddenly, one of the windigos reared up angrily, and motioned its head towards Cadence’s cutie mark. The others reacted angrily too now, their eyes glowing red.
There was only one thing for it, Cadence would have to cast at the windigos, and hope for the best. A sudden nervousness and panic caused her first vital shot to miss. In a powerful fury, the windigos raced at her, their eyes, icy cold. Cadence gave a scream, scrunched up her eyes, and cast again. The spell hit one of the windigos, but all of them reacted as if they’d been hit. Cadence quickly understood that hitting one of them had the same result as hitting all of them. This made her confidence rise, all she needed to do was go for the easiest target. The windigos seemed to figure this out too, and became even more determined to harm the filly.
‘Break her neck, you foals!’ came a sharp, male voice that Cadence had never heard before, and which made her feel like she was being cut with a knife.
Bewildered, Cadence tried to locate the owner of that grimy sounding voice. A windigo was suddenly on her chest, pushing her down into the snowy, icy, flat roof. Her face was then being pushed down, into it, making it hard to breathe. With a huge amount of concentration, Cadence sent the spell at the windigos backwards. In surprise, the windigo hold her down, let go of Cadence, who struggled to her hooves spluttering.
‘Smother her! Throw her off the roof!’ the voice continued menacingly, ‘rip Dusk’s grandfoal wing from wing!’
His last remark startled Cadence, but she would dwell on it later, preferably while she was not engaged in battle.
‘Unless she’d rather become my servant forever, of course,’ the voice added.
‘No way!’ Cadence retorted, sending another spell at the nearest windigo.
What was with all these creatures? One wants to turn her into soup, another wants to marry her, and this one wants her to become his servant! She half wondered if he was just trying to distract her. Maybe she should try to distract him.
‘Why can’t I see you?’ Cadence demanded.
‘Wouldn’t you like to know!’ the voice sneered, filled with self-importance. He clearly liked talking about himself.
Cadence managed to hit another windigo.
‘Are you even here?’ Cadence inquired, ‘or are you just a disembodied voice?’
Suddenly, Cadence felt a foreleg squeezing her neck.
‘Oh, I’m here, little filly,’ the voice hissed in her ear, ‘mostly, only the dead can see me.’
Cadence realized all of a sudden that, despite the fact he was squeezing her neck, she could still breathe perfectly well. If she cast a large amount of spells now, it would take him by surprise and she might just manage to defeat the windigos.
She cast. She hit the windigos. The windigos seemed to melt away and disappear. The snow was staring to turn into water. Cadence didn’t exactly know what happened, but it seemed that her defeating the windigos caused the owner of the voice to lose his power.
‘Curse you, living filth!’ the voice hollered as it began to fade away, ‘You got lucky, but it won’t happen again!’
*
‘So you met Slicer then. I think it would be better if Dusk told you about him, Cadence,’ Celestia told her, ‘he is his nemesis after all.’
Cadence nodded.
‘As to the letter,’ Celestia went on, ‘there’s only so much I can say. If Agalma had had another immortal foal before your mother, every immortal alicorn would have known about it.’
‘What does it mean?’ Cadence asked.
‘It means that, if the Agalma we know is indeed the pony that wrote this letter, then this foal of hers must have been mortal.’ Celestia explained.
Cadence stared.
‘It would be very understandable that she kept it secret if that was the case,’ Celestia continued, ‘an immortal alicorn having a mortal foal was very much frowned upon in those days, judging by the paper.’
Starburst seemed to think this was the best time to leave the room.
‘Starburst, wait,’ said Celestia, ‘I need to give you a cheque.’
‘But I didn’t do anything much,’ Starburst objected.
‘You need the money,’ Celestia told him, ‘and, in any case, the way I see it is that Cadence employed you as her body guard, so you were doing work.’
Starburst gave a weary smile and sat down next to Cadence, to wait.
It was good to feel the wind beneath her wings again, but there was no way she could keep up with Soarin’, who was quite some distance ahead of Cadence. Soarin’ was really the only one she could bring with her as there were very few pegasi, and even fewer that she was well acquainted with who lived in Canterlot, or passed through there regularly.
Starburst had not been in Canterlot at the time Cadence had thought of it. She had been thinking about her now healed wings, which made her think of flying, which made her think of thin air. Air, that was almost impossible to breathe. The Empress had said that she wouldn’t be able to breathe where her mother’s soul was. Maybe it was somewhere very high up.
One think Cadence did remember from class was that sky ponies lived very high up. Maybe they knew something, maybe they could breathe thin air, maybe they could help her. Her mother’s soul might even be in a sky pony settlement.
‘It’s nice to be flying with somepony who isn’t Spitfire,’ Soarin’ said to Cadence once she had caught up with him, ‘as great as it is with her, she acts so military about it, seems to think she’s already captain of the Wonderbolts.’
‘You want to be a wonderbolt too, don’t you Soarin’?’ Cadence asked.
‘Well, I did. But if Spitfire’s going to be captain, I’m not so sure,’ Soarin’ replied with a smile.
Cadence laughed.
Cadence could suddenly see green up ahead. It was grass. There was land. Surely there would be a sky pony settlement there. Cadence wondered if now would be a good time to actually tell Soarin’ what they were actually doing. She did not notice four ponies spying on her from various places.
The four of them glanced at each other, and nodded seriously.
In an instant, Cadence found herself gagged and her forelegs being held down by two ponies that looked a bit like overgrown pixie ponies or breezies. Cadence quickly realized, as she was struggling, that they must be sky ponies.
‘Don’t let her get away,’ the sky pony who wasn’t dealing with Cadence told the others, ‘she may be our only chance.’
Cadence really wished she and Soarin’ had remained at the same pace.
‘That’s easier said than done, Carnation,’ muttered Cosmos, who was holding one of Cadence’s forelegs down.
‘Please stop wriggling,’ pleaded Faerie Flight, the sky pony who had gagged Cadence.
‘And please don’t make this harder for us than it already is,’ added Sprout, who was holding down Cadence’s other foreleg.
‘Come on,’ said Carnation urgently, ‘let’s go!’
Cadence found herself travelling through the air at a high speed. The sky pony, who hadn’t been holding, had flown ahead. The sky ponies could propel themselves surprisingly fast with their fragile wings, which looked like rather angular versions of butterfly wings. They seemed to be a bit like flutter pony wings, except they were bigger, firmer and stronger. These ponies had rather angular eyes too now she looked carefully at her captors. Cadence managed to remove the gag.
‘Where are you taking me?’ Cadence asked anxiously, ‘what are you planning to do with me?’
The three sky ponies didn’t answer, and were unable to make eye contact with Cadence. Whatever they were intending to do with her, they weren’t very keen to do and wouldn’t be pleasant. Cadence struggled harder.
‘Put that gag back on her, Faerie,’ sighed Cosmos.
Faerie Flight tried to put the gag back on Cadence, but Cadence got rid of it again. Unlike with the blinkers those goblins had put on Cadence, there was no anti-magic spell on the gag for the one putting up with it.
‘Please stop removing it,’ Faerie Flight begged, ‘it’s our duty to do this.’ She gave Sprout a helpless look.
‘No point putting it back on anyway now,’ Sprout pointed out, with a sad sigh, ‘we’re almost there.’
Cadence looked down to see Carnation hovering by a rather jagged stack, which had a large rock placed on it. Close to the stack was . . . Well, Cadence wasn’t really sure what it was. It looked like a black whirlpool or a huge black hole. Cadence put this together with the sky ponies’ fear and reluctance.
‘You’re not going to sacrifice me to that, that thing, are you?’ Cadence exclaimed, aghast.
Where had Soarin’ got to? She needed his help.
‘We’re really truly sorry about this,’ came the miserable tone of Faerie Flight.
‘We don’t want to do this,’ added Sprout in a similar tone.
‘Then don’t!’ Cadence shouted, ‘No-pony’s making you!’
‘But that thing is,’ stammered Cosmos, indicating the gaping black abyss.
They were nearing the stack and Cadence couldn’t help but notice the chains around the rock.
‘I could help you,’ Cadence cried, ‘if you let me go, I could help you get rid of that thing. Together we could find a way!’
The sky ponies looked tempted, but their fear of the great beast was more significant.
‘Hold her down while I chain her up,’ Carnation told the other three.
‘Is the beast awake?’ Faerie Flight inquired, stammering slightly.
‘No,’ Carnation replied in a whisper, ‘I thought her shouting would wake him but he’s still sleeping.’
Carnation suddenly looked up and saw something in the sky.
‘Soarin’!’ Cadence yelled, ‘Soarin’ help me!’
‘I’ll deal with him,’ Cosmos said with a snarl, taking to her wings.
Cadence realized she would have to save herself. She had to think. Her horn and wing would have made it obvious she was an alicorn, so her royal status wasn’t going to get her out of this.
‘My aunt’s an immortal alicorn,’ Cadence began, ‘you’ll be in big trouble when she finds out.’
The sky ponies hesitated for a moment, but then continued to chain her to the rock. They were far more terrified of that thing than of an immortal alicorn. Cadence knew she didn’t have much more time. Any moment now, they would be finished and then they would leave her there to be swallowed by the monster. Wait, wasn’t there something in class she had been told?
The sky ponies had finished chaining Cadence up and they were now starting to walk off, Cosmos maintaining a magical hold on Soarin’.
‘Wait!’ Cadence cried out, ‘I’m the Crystal Princess! You need me!’
The sky ponies stopped in their tracks with gasps.
‘You need me, right?’ Cadence continued breathlessly, ‘your magic, it’s connected to . . !’
‘The crystal wand,’ Sprout murmured shakily. The four of them turned their heads slowly to look at Cadence.
‘If we were responsible for the death of a Crystal Princess . . .’ Cosmos continued in terror.
‘We could lose our connection to it,’ Carnation exclaimed, ‘If that happened it could mean the end of our kind! Our magic is our life!’
‘We wouldn’t be able to breathe thin air anymore,’ Sprout cried, ‘or allow others to.’
In an instant, Cosmos had let go of Soarin’ and they were all hurrying over to Cadence. Within a few seconds, Cadence was free.
‘We’re doomed!’ Faerie Flight yelled in dismay, crying her eyes out, ‘we’ll never survive now! He’ll destroy us!’
Sprout tried to comfort her, but ended up weeping herself. Within moments, all four sky ponies were in hopeless tears.
‘I’m still willing to help you,’ Cadence put in quickly, ‘but please explain why it was so important to sacrifice me to that thing . . .’
The sky ponies had fallen at her hooves before Cadence could get another word in. They were thanking her, groveling and clutching her forelegs. Cadence felt incredibly uncomfortable with this, and it wasn’t like she had done anything yet.
‘Couldn’t that thing wake up any minute?’ Soarin’ asked awkwardly.
The four sky ponies were instantly on their hooves.
‘We better make it so these two can breathe thin air first,’ Sprout said, ‘only our most powerful magic shows when it is being used,’ she explained to Cadence and Soarin’, ‘so you wouldn’t have much warning, but you will feel something inside you.’
Cadence suddenly felt an odd sensation and then a clicking feeling inside her body.
‘We’ve changed how the inside of your body works,’ Cosmos explained, as they rose into the air, ‘you will now take in more oxygen when you reach thin air.’
‘You may be a bit breathless until you get used to it,’ Carnation commented.
‘Why haven’t you managed to find out how to deal with this thing before?’ Cadence asked as their hooves touched ground.
The sky ponies looked around quickly and nervously.
‘He’s always watching,’ Sprout whispered.
‘What?’ Cadence inquired.
‘He knows what nearly every sky pony is doing at any time,’ Sprout muttered, ‘at least, when he’s awake, we’re not too sure about when he’s sleeping.’
‘A couple of guests arrived this morning and are already in the library looking over some books,’ said Carnation, ‘you could help them.’ Cadence nodded.
‘Do you think your daughter would be willing to take this colt on a tour?’ Cosmos asked Sprout.
‘Daffodil would be willing I think,’ Sprout replied, ‘and they look about the same age too.’
‘So why me?’ Cadence inquired a little abruptly.
‘Well,’ Faerie Flight began, a little reluctantly, ‘that monster, it appeared out of no-where, has been demanding sacrifices from us. If we don’t comply, he will destroy us all and our homes. Before, he was willing to accept anypony, but now he’s been demanding a princess.’
‘Don’t you have a princess?’ Cadence asked.
‘Yes,’ Faerie Flight responded, ‘but we just couldn’t sacrifice her . . .’
‘May I meet her?’ Cadence inquired.
‘Yes, of course,’ Faerie Flight told her.
They led Cadence and Soarin’ to what looked like a rather fancy day care center. Cadence wondered what the princess was doing here. She doubted a princess who was not willing to sacrifice herself for her ponies, and who hadn’t already dealt with the problem, was unlikely to be looking after little foals. They all went inside and then the sky ponies went ahead to get the princess. After a few minutes, they returned.
‘Here she is,’ said Faerie Flight.
Cadence looked around but she saw no-pony.
‘Hello!’ came a small enthusiastic voice.
Cadence looked down.
‘My name’s Princess Tulip Twinkle! What’s yours?’ (She had said chewlip instead of tulip).
Cadence found herself looking down at a very small pony who didn’t have all her first teeth yet and had only recently learned how to walk. She was just a trotter!
‘I’m, I’m Cadence,’ Cadence murmured, staring down at the tiny pony, who was staring up at her.
‘It was a similar situation with her as with you,’ Carnation explained to Cadence, ‘in your case, you got your title early because Prince Dragonfly’s choice for next Crystal Princess died suddenly. Tulip Twinkle’s older sister died suddenly not long after she had been crowned. Tulip Twinkle was the only possible heir left.’
The very little pony’s crown was far too big for her. It was rather lop-sided and covered half of her right eye. Tulip Twinkle turned her small face to the four sky ponies.
‘Has anypony seen my dolly?’ Tulip Twinkle asked, ‘She’s hiding from me again.’
‘Don’t tell me you lost her again?’ came a kindly filly’s voice. A face appeared.
‘So this is where you’ve been, Daffy,’ said Sprout with a smile.
The filly walked over to them.
‘It was Soarin’, wasn’t it?’ Sprout asked him, ‘this is my daughter, Daffodil. Daffy, this is Soarin’. I thought you might be able to take him on a tour.’
Daffodil looked at the pegasus colt with interest. Soarin’’s face went a bit red. Tulip Twinkle turned back to Cadence.
‘Are you a princess like me?’ Tulip Twinkle inquired.
‘Well, yes,’ Cadence replied a little awkwardly.
She knew very well now why these ponies couldn’t sacrifice their princess.
‘Why don’t you have any wings?’ Cadence asked her.
‘I won’t get my wings until I’m a big filly,’ Tulip Twinkle responded.
‘It’s about time you had your nap, isn’t it?’ Faerie Flight commented.
‘No,’ Tulip Twinkle stated sulkily, giving a small yawn.
‘Yes it is!’ Daffodil said with a laugh, ‘come on!’
She began to lead the protesting little princess away.
‘I’ll be back in a moment, Soarin’,’ she added.
The other four sky ponies thought this was a good time to continue to lead Cadence to the library. On reaching the building, they were met by a stallion. He did not look impressed.
‘Uh, oh,’ Faerie Flight murmured.
‘What have you four been up to?’ the stallion demanded.
There was not reply. They thought it was better to say nothing than to lie. They looked at him nervously.
‘Shame on you and your cowardly behavior,’ the stallion shouted, ‘it’s pretty obvious how this princess came to be here! Wait until I tell your mother about this!’
‘Oh, no!’ gasped Sprout.
‘Not Mother!’ exclaimed Cosmos.
‘Anything but mother!’ cried Carnation.
‘She’s such a dragon!’ added Sprout desperately.
‘Come on, Dad!’ Faerie Flight pleaded, ‘Have some pity!’
It hadn’t occurred to Cadence before that they were sisters.
‘Um,’ Cadence began uncomfortably, ‘they were only doing what they thought was best, and, well, they did let me go . . .’
The stallion raised an eyebrow.
‘I would certainly have had something to say about it if they hadn’t,’ the stallion replied gruffly, ‘especially with you being the Crystal Princess.’
‘How did you know!’ Cosmos spluttered.
‘Didn’t you fillies even think to check her cutie mark?’ the stallion sighed, rolling his eyes.
‘She’s going to help us,’ Carnation told him, quickly changing the subject.
‘Well, you’d netter hurry up about it,’ the stallion responded seriously, ‘that thing doesn’t have much patience and it’s already passed his usual meal time.’
Cadence and the four mares hurried inside. The main part of the library was on the next floor. Puffing and panting they finally made it up the stairs. It occurred to them afterwards that they could’ve just flown up instead.
‘Hello Cadence,’ came a familiar voice, ‘Raven Breath hasn’t kept you too busy, I hope?’
Cadence looked up.
‘Nova?’ Cadence gaped, ‘what are you doing here?’
‘Being helpful,’ Nova responded.
Cadence doubted this was true somehow, but she didn’t really mind that much. Nova seemed to make a habit out of appearing out of no-where. The four sky ponies left them to it.
‘Lost Heart doesn’t tend to say much,’ Nova said after a few moments, ‘not while I’m around anyway.’
Cadence hadn’t noticed Nova’s companion until now. Lost Heart looked about the same age as Nova, but the first thing Cadence noticed about her was her eyes. They were blue and lilac, but they also seemed to be constantly glazed over, as if she were always in deep thought.
‘She’s considered a traitor by Raven Mocker and co.,’ Nova added.
So Lost Heart was one of them, one of what, whatever Raven Mocker was. That explained Lost Heart’s eyes, but also her coat color and that strange, twisted horn which looked so much like Arachne’s.
‘Why are you a traitor?’ Cadence asked Lost Heart.
‘I don’t really remember too well,’ Lost Heart replied in a slightly logical way, ‘it seems so long ago now, so much has happened. I know I was never loyal to Raven Mocker. I was loyal to somepony else. I don’t remember who she was now, but I still want her back with me even so. Somepony else told me I didn’t belong where I was. I must’ve left after that. I’m under protection now.’
Lost Heart’s voice sounded far too young for her, almost as if it hadn’t changed since the time she was talking about. Nova seemed impressed that Cadence had managed to get Lost Heart to say so much. Nova suddenly gasped and dashed from the room.
‘She’ll be back,’ Lost Heart commented.
There was much more to Nova than met the eye that was for sure, Cadence realized. There was a green flash from the corridor. Nova returned a few moments later. She looked rather relieved.
*
Cadence had gone out for a quick walk. She felt depressed. They hadn’t managed to find out anything of much use so far. The streets were more or less deserted. The sky ponies were probably hiding themselves indoors.
‘Hello,’ came a tiny voice.
‘Tulip!’ Cadence gasped, ‘what are you doing out here by yourself!’
‘I found my dolly!’ Tulip Twinkle said brightly, holding it up for Cadence to see, ‘do you like her wings? I like brushing her mane and tail! Would you like a go?’
‘If you can find her brush,’ Cadence replied.
Tulip Twinkle scowled slightly for a moment.
‘I think I left her brush back at the nursery,’ Tulip Twinkle said thoughtfully, ‘let’s go get it!’
They hurried to the nursery, Cadence struggling to keep up. At least the tiny princess was being supervised now.
‘Found it!’ squeaked Tulip Twinkle.
‘Her hair’s very soft, isn’t it?’ Cadence commented as she brushed.
Suddenly, there was a ferocious roar that seemed to shake the building, and caused item to fall and be knocked over. Once it was over, Cadence got to her hooves.
‘Was that an earthquake?’ Cadence asked.
She caught sight of the little princess. She was curled up in a ball in the corner and was trembling terribly. Cadence approached her slowly and carefully, her hooves barely making a sound on the soft carpet. Cadence sat down next to her.
‘It’s okay, Tulip,’ Cadence said soothingly, ‘I’m here.’
‘T-That th-th-thing is a-awake,’ Tulip Twinkle stuttered, ‘I’m scared!’
‘Oh, Tulip!’ Cadence exclaimed kindly, ‘You’ll be alright!’
‘They think I don’t know!’ Tulip Twinkle stammered, ‘But I do! I know that monster wants to eat me!’
Floods of tears were streaming down her tiny face.
‘I don’t want to be eaten!’ Tulip Twinkle cried.
Cadence put her forelegs around her. She couldn’t bear this. This poor, sweet, little foal was so frightened, so unhappy. There was no point in pretending or trying to hide it from her.
‘Tulip,’ Cadence began, ‘I want you to listen carefully to what I’m about to say. Do you know what I’ve been doing since I met you earlier?’
‘No,’ Tulip Twinkle mumbled tearfully.
‘I’ve been up in the library with two others,’ Cadence explained, ‘we’ve been looking for a way to get rid of that beast once and for all.’
‘Will you be able to find out in time?’ Tulip Twinkle asked in a slightly more hopeful tone.
Cadence didn’t reply immediately. She didn’t know what to say. For one thing, she didn’t know how much time they really had. She hesitated.
‘If I’m honest, I don’t really know,’ Cadence responded, ‘but, well, if it comes to it, the monster didn’t ask for you specifically, and, well, if we can’t find a solution in time, I’ll, I’ll, I’ll take your place. That’s a promise.’
Cadence knew very well it was an emotion driven, and, in some ways, selfish promise, but she knew she couldn’t let this tiny foal be devoured by that monster.
*
Cadence had spent far too long with Tulip Twinkle. She had to get back to the library. As she reached it, she caught sight of Nova and Lost Heart at the door.
‘Have you found anything?’ Cadence puffed.
‘A couple of things,’ Nova replied, ‘types of creatures like this gain more power with every pony they swallow, however, it takes at least a week for the digestion process to complete. During this time none of the creature’s power can be used and it can’t swallow another pony either. The shaking ground thing is just a result of that creature moving.’
‘Anything else?’ Cadence inquired.
‘There was one other thing,’ Nova responded, ‘but I didn’t quite understand it. Creatures like that thing can’t digest certain actions or personality traits.’
Cadence didn’t understand it either.
Suddenly the ground was shaking, sky ponies were screaming, and the creature was making incomprehensible bellowing. Something was up, Cadence just knew it, then, she knew what.
She galloped off at full speed towards the nursery. How could she have been so stupid? That monster knew what every sky pony was doing while it was awake! Cadence was almost certain it knew perfectly well what she had said to Tulip Twinkle. More than a week had passed, that stallion had virtually told her so.
On reaching the nursery, Cadence knew that her suspicions were correct. Tulip Twinkle was gone. That beast had demanded his meal early and immediately. She had to get there before the sacrifice took place. She had a promise to keep.
Her own fear seemed to give Cadence speed. She was bearing the edge of the town; the stack was in view. She still had time, but not much. The four sky ponies were starting to chain up the screaming infant. It must be their job.
Cadence took to her wings. They had finished chaining up their princess. Cadence landed on the stack. The sky ponies were about to take off.
‘Wait!’ Cadence cried.
The four sky ponies turned in surprise.
‘Have you found a solution?’ Cosmos asked hopefully.
‘No,’ Cadence replied, ‘but I can give you more time. Once that thing has eaten, it can’t use its powers for a week. You’ll have the chance to either leave the area, or find another solution.’
‘But that won’t save Tulip Twinkle,’ said Faerie Flight miserably.
‘I’ll be doing that,’ Cadence responded, ‘I’m taking her place. I made a promise to her and I’m going to keep it. Please send my apologies to the crystal ponies.’
The four sky ponies stared, then, slowly, began to release Tulip Twinkle. Once free, the tiny princess rushed over to Cadence.
‘I’ll be alright,’ Cadence told her, ‘you’re safe now.’
Tulip Twinkle clutched one of Cadence back legs, as if she thought she could hold Cadence back. Faerie Flight picked Tulip Twinkle up and the sky ponies moved away. Cadence moved towards the edge of the stack and peered down into the black abyss. She couldn’t help but feel a terrible guilt for all those who cared about her: her friends, Shining Armor, the crystal ponies, her aunt . . .
She had to do this. As Cadence was looking down, two, huge, red eyes opened and rows of giant, sharp teeth emerged, spiraling down and down and down, looking a bit like a giant machine. Cadence swallowed hard.
‘You’re not the sky pony princess!’ a voice bellowed.
‘There’s been a slight change in the menu!’ Cadence snarled, barely able to believe her own courage, ‘you asked for a princess, so you’re getting one. An alicorn is a lot more royal than a sky pony princess. You should consider yourself lucky!’
‘It’s you,’ the voice continued loudly and furiously, ‘that brat that promised to protect the princess and want to get rid of me. Well, your little trick won’t work! A tough thing like you would only spoil my appetite in any case. I want that tender little foal. If I can’t have her, I’ll destroy everypony and everything they care about!’
Cadence realized she had to think of something quick, and do it fast. She needed to force him to eat her. Cadence backed up a few steps, took a run, and jumped. She curled herself into a ball, closed her eyes, and braced herself for impact.
Something odd was happening. The creature was moving from side to side, moaning and shrieking. All the sky ponies were staring.
‘That’s what it meant,’ Nova said to herself, ‘it can’t take bravery, courage and selflessness. Cadence has unwittingly destroyed that thing through her willing self-sacrifice.’
As Nova saw Cadence being flung out of the whirlwind, she took to her hooves, made her wings appear, and hurried in the direction Cadence was falling at full speed, and took to her wings.
Nova managed to catch Cadence in mid-air. Slowly, Nova lowered herself to the ground, and lay Cadence down, before making her wings disappear. Nova breathed deeply.
‘Cadence,’ Nova cried, ‘please don’t be dead. Please wake up!’
The creature was now completely destroyed, and it was as if it had never been there. Cadence still lay still. Bitter tears began to trickle down Nova’s face.
‘Oh, Cadence!’ Nova sobbed, ‘If only I had worked out that meaning sooner, or I had known what you were doing! How I wish I had taken your place, just like I would have taken my mother’s place if it had been possible!’
Nova didn’t notice the sky ponies slowly approaching and gathering around.
‘I don’t get it,’ a voice murmured, ‘how am I still alive?’
Nova looked down. Cadence was rubbing her horn. She looked up.
‘Don’t ask me,’ Nova responded, smiling through her tears, ‘I don’t have the faintest clue.’
From some distance below, about twenty sky ponies had just awoken, and were flying upwards, back towards their homes.
*
‘Sorry, Cadence,’ said Faerie Flight, ‘we don’t know anything about souls. You seem to know a lot more than we do.’
Cadence gave a disappointed nod.
‘Do you have to go?’ Tulip Twinkle asked Cadence.
‘Sorry, Tulip, but I do,’ Cadence responded, ‘I’ll come back and see you sometime.’
Tulip Twinkle nodded enthusiastically.
‘Nova,’ Cadence said quietly, ‘is your mother dead? I’m afraid I heard everything you said. I just couldn’t move at first.’
‘She was murdered a long time ago,’ Nova replied sadly.
‘I didn’t realize that cared about me that much,’ Cadence admitted, ‘I thought you weren’t interested in friendship at all . . .’
‘You – you want to be my friend,’ Nova said in a rather shocked tone.
‘Of course,’ Cadence replied.
‘I’ve never had a friend before,’ Nova murmured thoughtfully.
‘Well, now you do!’ Cadence told her with a smile.
For some reason never fully explained to Cadence, Nova was gone from the sky pony town before Cadence and Soarin’ were. When Cadence thought about it, what little she knew about Nova’s life style made very little sense, in fact, she realized, she had never even told Nova her name.
‘Starburst is not interested in her in the slightest,’ Cadence was telling a rather depressed Steamer.
‘But Fleur still likes him,’ Steamer replied miserably.
‘She’ll get over him sooner or later,’ Cadence responded, ‘it just takes her a while sometimes to realize that she stands no chance.’
Steamer tried to smile. He knew Cadence was trying her very best to cheer him up. Spitfire seemed to come out of no-where and approached Steamer.
‘I have something of yours,’ Spitfire said to Steamer, who looked a little confused.
A little colt stepped out from behind Spitfire.
‘Tex!’ Steamer exclaimed, ‘what have you been up to this time? Never mind, I don’t want to know.’
‘At least he got me away from Soarin’ for a little while,’ Spitfire commented, ‘all Soarin’ ever talks about these days is Daffodil. It’s driving me crazy!’
Cadence couldn’t help but give a small smile. Soarin’ had probably been talking about Daffodil non-stop since he and Cadence had got back from that sky pony town. Shining Armor was suddenly rushing up to them, slightly out of breath.
‘Shining Armor,’ Cadence exclaimed in surprise, ‘I haven’t seen you around lately. I was starting to worry. Is there something wrong?’
‘Yeah, there’s something wrong,’ Shining Armor puffed, ‘but it’s nothing to do with me not being around much. It’s Big Mac. He needs help. He’s asked me to come to Ponyville as soon as possible. He sent me a letter.’
*
‘So why did he write to you?’ Cadence asked Shining Armor as they walking towards Sweet Apple Aches to meet Big Macintosh, ‘why not just ask the mayor or . . .’
‘He’s very shy,’ Shining Armor explained, ‘I might be the only friend he has. I doubt he felt he could ask anypony else, and judging by the letter, not even he is sure how big the problem is. Even I didn’t feel I could ask any other guards to come all the way to Ponyville when I didn’t even know how big the problem is.’
The four of them: Cadence, Shining Armor, Steamer and Tex (who had tagged along with his big brother) had almost reached Sweet Apple Acres and Shining Armor could just make out Big Macintosh pacing up and down among some apple trees. The four ponies hurried over, Shining Armor in the lead. Big Macintosh was a bit surprised to see not just Shining Armor, but three other ponies.
‘We’ve come to help you, Big Mac,’ Shining Armor told him, ‘we got here as soon as we could.’
‘You’re still not thinking of going into that there forest?’ came the voice of an old, green mare.
‘You must be Granny Smith,’ Shining Armor commented.
‘Yep,’ Big Macintosh said.
‘You well know them woods are . . . um . . . something,’ Granny Smith continued.
It took her a few moments to remember what she was talking about.
‘Them woods are dangerous, youngen.’
‘She won’t listen to me,’ Big Macintosh explained in a low voice, ‘there’s something strange going on in those woods.’
‘Oh, there’s something strange going on,’ Granny Smith (whose hearing seemed to be better than Big Macintosh thought) said, ‘in all my days . . . but if you think anypony will believe you or care until it stars effecting Ponyville . . . what was I saying?’
Even though she was old, Cadence realized that it could potentially be difficult to get passed Granny Smith. They would either have to convince her, or distract her, or both. There was also the issue of Tex tagging along.
‘We’ll be safer going in as a group,’ Cadence began timidly, ‘we’ll come straight back as soon as we know what’s wrong.’
‘A princess like yourself should know better than going getting herself into trouble!’ Granny Smith retorted.
‘Well somepony has to do something,’ Shining Armor said, ‘it may not be as bad as we think but we’ll never know if we don’t go and find out.’
Granny Smith looked thoughtful, and Big Macintosh seized the opportunity.
‘I heard you tell Applejack that you would teach her about apple bucking today,’ Big Macintosh told her, ‘you could teach this colt as well.’
He motioned his head towards Tex.
‘I supposed I could . . .’ Granny Smith replied quietly.
‘We’d better go before she changes her mind and starts blocking the way,’ Big Macintosh muttered to Shining Armor.
The four ponies headed for the forest at a rapid pace, ignoring Granny Smith’s objections. For a while, they just walked in silence.
‘So what is the reason I haven’t seen you around much lately?’ Cadence asked Shining Armor.
‘Oh, well, you see I’ve been putting in a lot of extra training,’ Shining Armor explained, ‘there’s going to be a position open soon and I’m really hoping I’ll be the one chosen for it.’
‘I’ll have something to say about it if you aren’t,’ Cadence told him with a smile.
‘So what’s going on in here anyway?’ Steamer inquired, ‘Everything seems to be normal. Safer than I expected actually.’
‘I started to notice something was wrong when I heard timberwolves howling,’ Big Macintosh began slowly, ‘it was during the day. They might be active during the day but they don’t how unless it’s night time. My next suspicion came because the forest seems too safe. There are other odd things too but it’s mainly the behavior of the timberwolves that’s worrying.’
‘Maybe they ate something manky,’ Steamer suggested.
‘Or maybe they have rabies,’ Shining Armor added.
‘They could be reacting to some kind of magic,’ Cadence put in, ‘it may even be an unintended side effect. No-pony else has been or near the forest have they?’
‘There was a strange unicorn filly near the forest earlier,’ Big Macintosh said thoughtfully, ‘she was talking to Suri Polomare. I didn’t like the look of her much. She was a turquoisey green color with darker patches. They didn’t seem to be doing anything particularly suspicious though.’
‘That sounds like Thora,’ Cadence commented, ‘I wonder what she was doing in Ponyville.’
‘And what she was doing with this Suri Polomare,’ Shining Armor added.
He couldn’t help wondering if this whole thing was just one of Thora’s jokes.
‘They seemed to be getting on,’ Big Macintosh told them, ‘This Thora seemed to be giving the little filly some ideas to boost her confidence.’
Cadence wondered how Trixie felt about her big sister spending time with other little fillies. Did she even know? She hadn’t exactly looked happy the last time Cadence had seen her. Thora seemed to have been spending all her time with Lightning Dust instead of Trixie.
As they walked on, they saw nothing particularly suspicious but they couldn’t help but feel there was something wrong. Something was just not right.
‘I’m starting to think this problem lies beyond the forest,’ Steamer said, ‘what does lie beyond these woods anyway?’
‘Well, there’s some abandoned castle apparently,’ Big Macintosh replied a little uncertainly, ‘I’ve never gone this far into the forest myself and I’ve never known a pony who’s gone to the edges of it.’
‘How are we ever going to find the source of the problem like this?’ Shining Armor asked.
‘Perhaps we should just follow our instinct,’ Cadence suggested, feeling a bit silly, ‘I can’t be the only one who feels there’s something wrong. Maybe if we follow that feeling, we’ll find the source of the problem more easily.’
The others didn’t look particularly convinced but it wasn’t as if any of them had a better idea. They continued to walk with Cadence taking the lead.
‘Can you smell something funny?’ Cadence asked after a while.
The others nodded nervously. About a minute later, Cadence caught sight of a sudden bright light out of the corner of her eye. It was gone in an instant. Cadence began to walk in the direction she thought it had come from. Either her idea of following their instincts had worked, or it was just dumb luck. A few moments later, another different colored bright light shone, then disappeared.
They hurried towards it. What was going on? They came to what looked like a cut out valley in the ground. The light seemed to be coming from a cave in the valley that they could only just make out. On looking down, they spotted a large amount of steps leading down into the valley. Cadence flew down and waited for the others at the bottom.
‘I’m not looking forward to climbing back up those,’ Steamer commented once he reached the bottom.
They hurried towards the cave. On reaching it, Cadence stopped and gasped. There were two familiar figures standing there who began to turn their heads.
Arachne and Lamia were standing by a rather unusual tree and must’ve’ been casting spells at it. They looked rather worn out and had obviously been at it for some time.
‘That the Tree of Harmony!’ Cadence spluttered and couldn’t help thinking that Arachne and Lamia were a bit out of their depth.
Still, she couldn’t allow them to continue their attempts to damage such an important plant. Besides, without the elements themselves, the tree would be weaker than it should be.
‘Stop trying to harm that tree!’ Cadence demanded, trying to ignore the grins on their faces and trying her best not to remind herself that they worked for Raven Mocker. Arachne and Lamia starting giggling and Cadence gave a shudder.
‘What’s going on?’ Big Macintosh inquired.
Once Steamer and Shining Armor had caught sight of Arachne and Lamia, they instinctively moved closer to Cadence.
‘Do you know these two?’ Big Macintosh asked.
‘They’re dangerous,’ Steamer said stiffly, glancing at Cadence.
‘We have to stop them,’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘we must protect that tree!’
Cadence realized she had been right. The odd behavior of the timber wolves must be a side effect of the spells Arachne and Lamia had been aiming at the tree. The others looked rather blank.
‘It’s important,’ Cadence insisted.
‘Maybe we’ll stop,’ Arachne sneered.
‘If you come with us,’ Lamia hissed though a nasty smile.
‘Not a chance!’ Cadence snarled, ‘Now get away from that tree or I’ll make you get away from it!’
Arachne and Lamia started giggling again. Without warning, Cadence had launched herself at them. The other three ponies raced over to help her.
‘Was this one of Raven Mocker’s ideas?’ Cadence asked through gritted teeth.
‘Of course not!’ Lamia replied in a superior tone.
‘We came up with this one ourselves!’ Arachne added.
‘You’re not going to get much respect when he finds out you’ve gone and failed,’ Cadence retorted as they tussled, ‘not that you’ve ever respected anypony.’
Arachne and Lamia stopped for a moment and glanced at each other. It was a meaningful glance, Cadence realized, almost a momentary weakness.
‘Don’t tell me there is somepony you have respect for,’ Cadence exclaimed, taking the opportunity to catch her breath.
‘Was,’ Arachne muttered.
‘A lot like you,’ Lamia mumbled.
Arachne kicked her.
‘Sorry,’ Lamia murmured, ‘she did ask.’
‘Well you didn’t have to tell her,’ Arachne snapped.
Cadence stared. For a moment, there had been a sense of loss in their eyes that was so unlike Cadence had known in them.
Arachne and Lamia’s sudden attack took Cadence completely by surprise and she wondered if it had been planned this way. The three colts tried to pull Arachne and Lamia off Cadence but they were very strong and formidable fighters.
‘We’re going to take you back with us, Princess,’ Lamia hissed.
‘Then it won’t look like such a big failure,’ Arachne added, ‘not to Raven Mocker anyway.’
Cadence struggled harder and managed to take them by surprise, kicking them off her with her back legs, but sending herself backward. She hit the base of the tree.
‘Sorry,’ Cadence murmured, before realizing apologizing to a tree was a bit silly.
She got to her hooves, leaning on the tree trunk slightly. As she looked down at the hoof that had been touching the tree as she got to her hooves, she realized it was glowing. She stared. The three colts rushed over.
‘What’s happening?’ gasped an alarmed Shining Armor.
‘You’re appearance is changing!’ exclaimed a gawping Steamer.
‘Eyep,’ added Big Macintosh.
Cadence’s whole body was glowing and her appearance was changing.
‘I think,’ Cadence began, ‘I think the tree is lending me some of its power.’
The glow disappeared, leaving Cadence with a slightly altered appearance and a surprising amount of strength. She glanced at a now terrified Arachne and Lamia. Cadence had been secretly almost certain that she couldn’t win before, now, Arachne and Lamia were completely certain they wouldn’t win. They were still going to put up a fight though, Cadence realized. They weren’t cowards. As Cadence prepared to fight, a rainbow of hearts encircled her.
Unknown to Arachne and Lamia, Cadence allowed them to attack first. As they neared her, Cadence took to her wings, avoiding their grasp, and cast at them. Cadence didn’t even know what she was casting; it seemed to be some sort of powerful energy or force.
It only took a few hits to push Arachne and Lamia into submission. As soon as the brief fight was over, the glow returned, and Cadence returned to normal. Cadence hurried over to Arachne and Lamia. She couldn’t help but worry that she had hurt Arachne and Lamia more than she had intended or needed. Lamia gave a loud groan.
‘Oh, shut up,’ Arachne murmured.
Cadence looked down, not quite sure what to do with them. She knew very well if she let them go they would only run back to Raven Mocker who would probably just replace them if they didn’t return. For an instant, she felt sorry for them. The three colts stood some distance away.
Cadence knew it was unlikely they knew anything, but she thought she might as well ask Arachne and Lamia.
‘Do you,’ Cadence began carefully, ‘do you know anything about souls?’
Arachne and Lamia’s eye widened.
‘Should’ve known she’d somehow find out,’ Lamia muttered.
They knew? How did they know about her mother’s soul? Cadence seized the opportunity.
‘If you can tell me where she is,’ Cadence told them, ‘I’ll let you go and I won’t let anypony else know you told me.’
‘Even Raven Mocker?’ Lamia ventured.
Cadence nodded.
‘She’s underwater!’ Arachne blurted out, ‘she’s been down there for so long!’
Cadence thought Arachne was exaggerating a bit but what she said made perfect sense.
‘Thank you,’ Cadence whispered so no-pony else could hear her, ‘thank you so much.’
Cadence let them go. With once last glance at her, Arachne and Lamia hurried away.
Why hadn’t Cadence realized before? Her mother’s soul being underwater was so obvious now she thought about it, and Cadence was almost certain which area of water too.
Cadence tried her best not to let on to the others that she was in a major hurry. Once she had finally got back to Canterlot, Cadence rushed off while Steamer, Tex and Shining Armor weren’t looking.
The small river, Cadence knew, led to a lake hidden in the mountainside. Not many ponies would know about the lake. The Empress could have reached it without being spotted with relative ease, and now, able to fly again, Cadence could too. She hoped it wouldn’t take too long. It was only a few hours until dinner time. Cadence didn’t particularly want to look like she’d been up to something, or worry her aunt.
Cadence did what she thought was the sensible thing and simply followed the river. She followed it through a crack in the rock. It was a bit of a tight squeeze. It was dark. The narrow crack in the rock was the only real light source. She could only just make out the lake. Cadence lit up her horn.
There were ripples on the water and Cadence could now see that the lake was very deep. How was she going to breath? Her clue after all had been that she wouldn’t be able to breathe where her mother’s soul was. She looked around aimlessly. Her mother’s soul, Cadence decided, would be very deep down, and certainly out of sight. Cadence pondered this slight inconvenience while staring at the lake.
She suddenly realized there was something moving in the water below. Something big. As big as Cadence, if not bigger. It was rising to the surface at a rapid speed. It looked a lot like some kind of fish, but it also looked a lot like a pony too. A pony-like head popped out of the water.
‘Hello Princess Cadence,’ the creature said, ‘I wondered when you would turn up.’
The creature was rather beautiful and was wearing a crown made of seashells.
‘So she is here!’ Cadence blurted out.
The creature nodded, before pushing a strand of her damp mane off her face.
‘What are you?’ Cadence asked curiously.
‘A seapony,’ she replied, ‘and a princess. My name is Oceania.’
Cadence had seen seaponies before, well, their heads at least, in the small river, but Oceania’s hooves had confused her. Oceania noticed that Cadence was staring at her hooves.
‘Seaponies only have hooves instead of fins if they become a prince or princess,’ Oceania explained.
Cadence wondered if the process was anything like becoming an alicorn.
‘Can you get my mother’s soul for me?’ Cadence inquired.
‘No,’ Oceania responded, ‘but I can allow you to breathe underwater. I should warn you though, it’s quite dangerous down here, and you won’t be able to talk while you’re underwater.’
‘How long will I have?’ Cadence asked.
‘As long as you need,’ Oceania told her, ‘but once you return to the surface, the spell will be broken. I’ll explain more when you’re under.’
Cadence nodded and gingerly placed a hoof in the water. It was unexpectantly warm, and Cadence waded in until she felt the ground disappear from beneath her hooves.
‘Touch my hoof,’ Oceania instructed her, ‘my magic doesn’t work unless I’m touching the object or creature I’m casting the spell on.’
After a few moments, Cadence found herself being dragged beneath the water. At first, Cadence was worried, thinking she might’ve been tricked and it had all been a trap set for her by the Empress, but then, Cadence realized she was breathing.
‘Sorry about that,’ Oceania said, ‘I suddenly realized that you would start suffocating unless I got you under water. I gave you gills and temporarily stopped your lungs from working so you would have stopped taking in oxygen in the air.’
Cadence was about to say something, when she remembered she couldn’t speak under water.
‘I assume you can swim?’ Oceania inquired.
Cadence nodded.
‘Good,’ Oceania continued, ‘I can’t come very far with you I’m afraid. The merponies would certainly take the advantage to attack if I left my part of the lake.’
She paused for a moment.
‘Merponies are dangerous,’ Oceania went on, seeing Cadence’s baffled expression, ‘they work for the kelpie. They often trick seapony foals into thinking they are also seaponies and end up feeding them to the kelpie. He can live on plants, but he craves meat, that kelpie does. If this lake were more open, he’d go after land foals himself.’
Cadence could tell that Oceania was struggling to repress her anger.
‘Make sure you avoid him and be careful. His merpony spies are everywhere. If he found out, he wouldn’t pass up a snack like you.’
Cadence had nearly been eaten all too recently and didn’t plan for it to happen again. She gave a small sigh.
‘If you are unlucky enough to meet him, whatever you do don’t let him touch you. His coat is so sticky that you’ll never be able to free yourself,’ Oceania continued, ‘only a land pony can open the door which the souls are trapped behind and remove the balls and chains. You should be able to hear a ghostly moan which will get louder the closer you get.’
Cadence suddenly noticed that Oceania looked a lot weaker than she had while Cadence was on land.
‘It’s nothing,’ Oceania said, noticing Cadence’s look, ‘it was a very powerful spell. I’ll recover. Could I ask you a favor though?’
Cadence nodded.
‘If you are unlucky enough to meet merponies or the kelpie, don’t let on that you have seen me or that I am weakened,’ Oceania told her, ‘I know you can’t speak but he’ll just get you to write it down or nod or shake your head. He rather has it in for me. He’s desperate to get his hooves on the seapony part of the lake.’
Cadence nodded vigorously.
‘Thank you,’ Oceania responded.
Oceania was suddenly alert and afraid.
‘Go,’ she whispered urgently, ‘hurry.’
Cadence hesitated.
‘Please,’ Oceania pleaded.
Filled with guilt and fear, Cadence swam for it. After a short distance, Cadence heard a scream. She trod water for a moment, her heart thumping. She wanted to go back. She wanted to help, but she forced herself to not look back and to carry on. If Oceania was dead this was certainly the only chance she had to get her mother’s soul. But Oceania wasn’t dead, she couldn’t be dead. But it had sounded an awful lot like that that scream had belonged to her.
Cadence increased her speed. If Oceania had been attacked, and it seemed very likely she had been, her attacker might be coming after Cadence. Had that kelpie got Oceania? Cadence gave a shiver and really hoped that wasn’t the case. Oceania really didn’t deserve that. Cadence found herself swimming further and further down. She decided it was a good idea to conceal herself among the foliage at the bottom of the lake, and she stopped to listen for the ghostly moan Oceania had mentioned, hoping she hadn’t been swimming in the completely wrong direction all this time.
For a few moments, Cadence heard nothing but the underwater ambiance. She listened harder, and began to feel anxious. Even if she saw anypony she wouldn’t be able to ask them, and Oceania wasn’t here to help. Cadence’s ears suddenly pricked. She had heard something that was distinctly odd. Cadence hurried in the direction it had come from, frequently having to remind herself to be cautious and keep hidden.
Cadence caught sight of some creatures ahead. She was about to approach them when it occurred to her that she didn’t know how to tell seaponies and merponies apart, after all, if foals could be tricked, merponies and seaponies must look quite similar. These creatures could be either. She sighed inwardly, and swam carefully away, following the ghostly sound.
Cadence wondered how the creatures put up with that sound all the time, but then, could they actually hear it? Oceania had known about it but she never said she could hear it. She could’ve simply known that Cadence would be able to hear it.
Cadence couldn’t help but feel that the further she went, the more dangerous it became. The water was becoming murkier too, and the foliage around her looked rather dead, but the ghostly moan was definitely becoming louder and clearer the further she went, so she was heading in the right direction. At least she could see more clearly now she had got used to having her eyes open underwater. Cadence tried to ignore the various skeletons of fish which were hanging around.
Suddenly, Cadence felt something being thrown over her. It was seaweed. She quickly managed to wriggle free and took off as fast as she could. There were two creatures pursuing her, Cadence knew, and they were fast swimmers, beating the water at a rapid pace. Cadence found several pieces of seaweed being flung over her and tightening around her body. As she looked over at her captors, Cadence realized the creatures she had seen before had definitely been seaponies. These two merponies were a lot taller and thinner. Their coats and eyes were tonally different. Their fins were a lot more angular compared to the rounded fins of the seaponies.
‘Got her,’ muttered the first merpony, a note of satisfaction in his voice.
‘Let’s take her to the kelpie!’ came the enthusiastic tone of the second; a young mare who Cadence thought was probably the first merpony’s sister.
‘I’m sure he’ll be very interested in her,’ the stallion replied.
Cadence’s instincts told her to keep struggling but the seaweed made things rather difficult. The seaweed itself was very strong. It had to be. The merponies were using it to drag her along. To Cadence’s surprise, they seemed to be heading in the direction she had intending to go. There was no point trying to get away until they strayed off her path, Cadence decided, not that she at all liked the idea of being taken to that kelpie. It was just typical that the kelpie in this lake was an evil one rather than a good one.
There was a clearing up ahead, and Cadence could see what looked like a sunken ship a small distance from it. How the ship had got there was beyond Cadence. There were a few dead things floating about. Cadence suddenly caught sight of somepony who was tied to a piece of driftwood which had been placed vertically, like a stake in the ground.
Oceania! Cadence began to struggle again. The kelpie was encircling Oceania, dangerously close to her. The sweat running down Oceania’s neck flecked off into the rest of the water. A lot of the skin on the kelpie’s face seemed to have peeled off; the skin below the eyes was scared and cracked looking. His tail was very long and more reminiscent of a dragon’s than a pony’s; his mane was long and reminded Cadence of seaweed. His hooves were slightly webbed, his coat was a pale shade of silver and his teeth were rather reminiscent of those of a crocodile.
‘Leave me alone, you big bully!’ Oceania was stammering.
‘Not such a tough princess now are you?’ the kelpie said with a smile, moving a hoof towards her.
‘Don’t touch me!’ Oceania gasped breathlessly.
The kelpie gave a chuckle. Cadence wanted to help Oceania so badly that it hurt. She really wished she could speak too, so she could tell that kelpie to leave Oceania alone. The two merponies hadn’t seemed to have noticed Oceania at all. As they approached, the kelpie turned his head and Cadence realized how big he actually was. He was at least as tall as a fully grown immortal alicorn.
Oceania turned her head and gasped in horror on seeing Cadence but her main gaze was for the merpony stallion. A tear ran down Oceania’s cheek.
‘Seaspray,’ Oceania murmured in shock, ‘how could you?’
Seaspray was about to say something when his mouth went dry (well, dry as it could underwater). He had seen Oceania.
‘What’s she doing here,’ Seaspray said stiffly.
Cadence could tell he was tempted to let go of her and rush to Oceania’s side.
‘You’ve tied her up . . .’ Seaspray continued weakly, ‘and . . . and she’s hurt! You promised me she wouldn’t get hurt!’
He was clearly very upset.
‘Never mind about her,’ the kelpie said dismissively, ‘you’ve brought me a land foal. Still alive. So what I was told was true.’
He paused for a moment. He turned his gaze towards the female merpony.
‘Allow her to speak, Waterfire. I want to know what she has to say.’
Cadence could feel something feel something happening inside her throat.
‘She’s done all she can to prevent me from taking over the whole lake,’ the kelpie explained with a snarl, ‘I need more foals to eat. She’s preventing me from taking seaponies and from getting to the only access point there is to land. She deserves all the pain. Luckily for me, she, like you, is still young enough to make a tasty meal.’
‘You can’t do that!’ Cadence exclaimed.
‘You know, it’s so obvious that I can that I’m not going to bother responding to your comment,’ the kelpie replied in a slightly bored tone, ‘but since you seem so fond of Oceania, I’ll give you a chance to rescue her. If you reach her in forty seconds, you can both leave alive, oh, and you can have those souls you came for. If you fail, I’ll eat you both. Seem fair?’
Cadence knew it was anything but fair. It was almost impossible and Cadence knew it, but what choice did she have?
‘Alright,’ Cadence murmured.
Oceania was horrified.
‘You’ll never make it!’ Oceania cried.
Cadence tried to ignore this comment. The kelpie swam back a couple of yards.
‘Release her,’ the kelpie told the two merponies.
Cadence caught Seaspray’s eye for a moment.
The kelpie dived at her. Cadence was caught off guard and only just managed to dodge. She had expected him to tell her to start. She was losing precious seconds. Cadence dashed towards Oceania but the kelpie kept getting in her way and it was very difficult when she mustn’t, under any circumstances, let him touch her. She had ten seconds left now! She took a risk and dived between the kelpie’s legs. She had almost reached Oceania when the kelpie blocked her way with a foreleg.
‘Time’s up, land foal,’ the kelpie sneered, a vile grin on his face.
Oceania was suddenly free. The kelpie turned his head to see Seaspray glaring at him and holding one of Oceania’s hooves.
‘You’re going to be sorry,’ Seaspray said sternly, ‘you lied and broke all your promises. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before.’
‘You’re the one who’s going to be sorry, you foal!’ the kelpie snarled, ‘I’ll make you pay!’
Waterfire hurried over to defend her brother.
‘Swim!’ Waterfire shouted.
They swam for it, Oceania grabbing Cadence in one of her forelegs.
‘I’ll slow you down!’ Cadence protested.
‘There’s no way you could swim fast enough,’ Oceania replied, ‘I’m not allowing you to get eaten.’
‘What are we going to do?’ Waterfire asked desperately.
‘We can’t keep up this speed for long,’ added an anxious Seaspray.
Cadence looked down at the lakebed as she tried to think. That was it!
‘We’ll have to tie him up,’ Cadence whispered, ‘like you two tied me up, using seaweed.’
‘That would be so risky though,’ Seaspray responded.
‘But it’s probably the only thing we can do,’ Oceania told him.
‘She’s right,’ Waterfire said solemnly.
They quickly grabbed as much seaweed in their mouths as they could manage and Cadence tied the bits together, using magic, as fast as she could. They had to work fast. The kelpie would be there any moment. Four loops. That was enough. As the kelpie approached, they tripped him with the first one, then tied him up with it, taking care to avoid touching him. As he struggled, they tied him up with the other seaweed loops. They were almost done when the kelpie, in one last attempt, flung himself at Oceania. She screamed. She was suddenly across the lakebed, out of harm’s way. Seaspray had noticed what was going on a few vital seconds earlier and had pushed Oceania out the way.
‘No!’ Oceania yelled, hurrying back.
Seaspray was stuck to the kelpie.
‘You’re going to be okay big brother,’ Waterfire said in obvious shock, but trying to sound reassuring.
‘I’m just glad it wasn’t Oceania,’ Seaspray murmured, trying his best not to sound as frightened as he was, ‘what use is a traitor like me anyway?’
‘You’re not a traitor,’ Oceania cried, tears flooding down her face, ‘but oh Seaspray, why did you do? Why work for him?
‘Because,’ Seaspray mumbled, ‘he said it was all a big misunderstanding and that if he had his way, relationships between seaponies and merponies would no longer be disapproved of. I guess I was rather blinded by what he said after that.’
Oceania wept harder. She knew that Seaspray was a good as dead. Even if they killed the kelpie to prevent Seaspray from being eaten, he would never be able to move again being still attached. He would either die of disease from being attacked to a dead corpse or die of hunger. Even if they managed to get through all that, which Oceania was willing to try, he would spend the rest of his life suffering. It might even be better if Seaspray did die now rather than prolong his pain.
Oceania wept still harder and leaned down to touch his face with hers.
‘Oceania, no,’ Seaspray protested, ‘you could get stuck too!’
Oceania ignored his protests and as she did so, her tears fell on the kelpie’s sticky skin which had attached itself to Seaspray. Seaspray suddenly found that he was able to move. He was free.
‘How is this possible!’ cried a tearful Oceania.
‘It must’ve been the tears,’ Cadence told her, ‘perhaps it was the acid that was in them.’
‘Oh, Seaspray!’ Oceania wept, ‘I’m so glad you’re okay! I’m so sorry!’
After a few moments, Oceania turned to Cadence.
‘You see that ship, Cadence,’ Oceania said, while trying to rid her face of her tears, ‘there a door in it. Press your hoof against it and it will open.’
Cadence had almost completely forgotten about her mother’s soul.
‘But . . .’ Cadence began to protest.
‘We can manage the kelpie,’ Waterfire told her.
The other two nodded. Cadence hurried towards the ship and quickly found the door. As she placed her hoof on the door, it opened. The Empress must have assumed so little security was needed as no pony living on land would make it down here. Her kind must be able to breathe underwater. Cadence hesitated for a moment, then swam through.
‘She’s here, Pulchra,’ came a voice that Cadence recognized, but it wasn’t her mother’s.
‘True Star?’ Cadence asked, finding it hard to take in.
‘Hey Cadence,’ True Star responded, ‘would you mind getting me out too? It’s not exactly a party down here.’
‘How did you get down here?’ Cadence exclaimed.
‘Raven Mocker’s idea of a joke,’ True Star replied with a smile, or, at least, Cadence thought it was a smile.
It was hard to make out. The souls were definitely True Star and Cadence’s mother but they were so fuzzy it was hard to make them out. Cadence now understood that when she had asked Arachne and Lamia about souls that they had thought Cadence was referring to True Star’s soul. They probably had no idea about Cadence’s mother’s soul.
Unknown to Cadence, Pulchra and True Star had been unable to see their surroundings before Cadence’s arrival but now could, and could see each other completely clearly. Cadence was trying to think where se was supposed to touch the balls and chains. Pulchra sighed and looked resolved.
‘You’re not intending to . . ?’ True Star began.
‘I don’t have much choice really,’ Pulchra replied.
‘But you can be at peace!’ True Star objected.
‘She needs extra protection,’ Pulchra told her, ‘I must.’
True Star was silent for a moment.
‘I’ll do it,’ True Star said.
‘What?’ Pulchra asked.
‘I said I’ll do it,’ True Star responded, ‘look, you can be at peace, but I can’t. I have an unfulfilled destiny remember. It’s either that, or going to some limbo like place.’
Pulchra stared.
‘Look,’ True Star went on, ‘I didn’t mention this before but I know one her enemies very well. I’m more qualified for it than you are in a way.’
Pulchra nodded. Cadence hadn’t been listening. She had been concentrating. Pressing her hoof to True Star’s ball and chain, and holding down for ten seconds had unlocked it.
‘I’ll have you free in a moment, Mom,’ Cadence told Pulchra.
‘It shouldn’t be this way,’ Pulchra sighed, ‘I should be protecting and rescuing you, not the other way round.’
Pulchra and True Star exchanged a meaningful glance and True Star nodded.
‘You did your best, Mom,’ Cadence replied, ‘no-pony could ask more than that.’
‘But my best wasn’t good enough,’ Pulchra responded sorrowfully.
‘You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself,’ True Star commented.
The moment the ball and chain was off Pulchra, everything seemed to speed up. True Star and Pulchra each took one of Cadence’s forelegs. Cadence felt herself going partly through them, but they still managed to hold her. They moved at such a rapid speed that Cadence was by the edge of the lake within a few seconds. When Cadence got up and looked around, True Star and Pulchra were gone.
*
‘Late for dinner again I see,’ Celestia commented with a sigh, ‘what was it this time?’
Cadence struggled through the door rather breathlessly.
‘You’re soaking wet,’ Celestia exclaimed, ‘what have you been up to?’
‘I,’ Cadence began slowly and hesitantly, ‘I went for a swim.’
*
‘Hello Cadie,’ Dusk said, ‘how are you? Anything on your mind?’
It was the first time Cadence had called her grandpa since that time she was down those mines.
‘There is something actually,’ Cadence replied, ‘Aquila told me that you told her that True Star was at peace, but she wasn’t. Her soul was trapped in a lake.’
‘Ah,’ Dusk responded guiltily, ‘yes, well, you see . . . Wait, did you find her?’
Cadence nodded.
‘She’s free now,’ Cadence told him.
‘You wouldn’t believe how long I’ve been searching for her!’ Dusk exclaimed.
‘But why did you tell Aquila . . ?’ Cadence began.
‘Ah, yes, that. She asked me to check True Star’s condition while we were at True Star’s funeral,’ Dusk explained, ‘Aquila was already distraught and I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. I thought I’d tell her the truth once I’d found and freed True Star, but, of course, I never found her.’
Cadence was glad she could finally relax a bit. Now that her mother’s soul was free, she didn’t have to worry about it. Maybe she was a bit too relaxed. The fact that three ponies had gone missing, two of them royal guards, barely seemed to bother her. She entered a shop.
‘Hi, Joe,’ Cadence called, ‘how’s business?’
Joe looked up.
‘Oh, hi Cadence,’ Joe replied, sounding slightly downcast, ‘yeah, business is fine. My aunt and uncle have been trying to help me out. Looks like things have been going well for you.’
‘Well, I’ve managed to get some stuff sorted out,’ Cadence responded, ‘and Thora hasn’t been picking on me much recently.’
Joe gave a small, guilty smile.
‘I think I might know why that is,’ Joe told her grimly, ‘Thora’s been picking on me instead.’
Cadence was rather startled by this. It hadn’t occurred to her that Thora was bullying somepony else instead.
‘I’ll sort this out,’ Cadence muttered seriously, ‘you’ve been through enough without Thora bothering you.’
Joe gave a slightly nervous laugh.
‘You know,’ Joe said thoughtfully, ‘it is kind of like having Goody Four-Shoes back.’
He gave a shiver.
‘Then again,’ Joe continued, ‘those two are quite close in character in some ways. Not to mention they used to get on very well.’
‘They knew each other!’ Cadence spluttered.
When she thought about it, it should have been obvious; after all, they were cousins.
‘Oh, yes,’ Joe replied grimly, ‘quite the best of friends those two. Thora came to visit, in fact, that morning on Hearts & Hooves Day.’
‘Trixie seems to like you though,’ Cadence said, trying to cheer him up, ‘she seemed a bit disappointed you couldn’t go on the camping trip.’
‘Yes, she does,’ Joe responded, ‘Aunt Trixiebelle and Uncle Knight Shade like me too, but Thora always seems to be able to find a time when they aren’t around. I would keep out of her way as much as you can at the moment if I were you. She has it in for you, and you never know what Thora is really up to.’
*
It was drawing towards the end of a sunny afternoon, and Cadence was approaching Fleur de Lis and Millie, who were chatting and giggling animatedly, when somepony tapped Cadence on the shoulder. Cadence turned her head in surprise to see that it was Thora. Cadence found it very hard to take in that Thora had a reasonably friendly expression on her normally sulky face.
‘Can we talk, Cadence?’ Thora asked in a serious tone.
Cadence took a moment to look around, in case she was actually being talked to by somepony else.
‘Uh,’ Cadence replied awkwardly and anxiously, ‘sure.’
Cadence didn’t feel she could refuse. There was a nervous excitement building up inside Thora that Cadence didn’t notice. The two fillies trotted off towards the edge of Canterlot, talking as they went.
‘I’ve decided to make a few changes to my life,’ Thora began.
Cadence was slightly startled.
‘I’ve decided to turn over a new leaf as it were,’ Thora continued.
‘Are you going to stop picking on Joe then?’ Cadence blurted out before she could stop herself.
Thora looked a little surprised.
‘Of course,’ Thora replied carelessly.
‘Have you told him what you’re telling me?’ Cadence asked cautiously.
‘No,’ Thora responded, ‘I thought I’d tell you first.’
‘Why me?’ Cadence inquired a little nervously.
Thora didn’t reply. Cadence thought it was best not to press her. It was a rather personal question in a way when she thought about it, especially considering how little she knew about Thora. All she really knew about her really was a few ponies she was related to, that she had done some foalsitting, and that she had once gone out with Shining Armor.
They had walked quite some distance now. Cadence couldn’t help but feel anxious about this. She didn’t like the idea of being all alone with Thora, despite her talk of reform. It just didn’t feel right.
‘Where are we going?’ Cadence asked suddenly, noticing that Thora’s movements were far from casual.
Thora tried not to smile too much.
‘I’ve got a little surprise for you, Cadence,’ Thora told her.
A surprise? This wasn’t good Cadence doubted that even a surprise from a reformed Thora would be a good thing.
‘I’m not sure about this,’ Cadence said quietly, ‘maybe we should go back.’
‘Oh don’t be silly, Cadence,’ Thora giggled, ‘it’s just a little something. A token of how I feel about you.’
Cadence didn’t know what to say or how to respond, so she continued to accompany Thora mostly out of default. Perhaps it was the right thing to do in any case; after all, Cadence had wanted to be friendly with Thora when she first met her. Maybe they could be friends. Still, the further they went, the more Cadence wanted to go back.
‘How much further?’ Cadence asked Thora.
‘We’re almost there,’ Thora replied.
Something was moving up ahead.
‘What’s that?’ Cadence inquired a little jumpily.
‘Your surprise,’ Thora responded with a smile.
‘Hello, Cadenza,’ came a familiar female voice.
Cadence stared in horror. It was the Empress. As Cadence turned her head in shock towards Thora, she knew that almost everything Thora had said to her was a lie. The malicious expression on her face said it all. Cadence couldn’t believe it. She knew very well that Thora didn’t like her, but this was too much.
‘Do you know who she is?’ Cadence asked Thora, ‘Do you know what she does?’
‘Of course she does!’ the Empress said with an unpleasant laugh, ‘she’s been most helpful.’
‘You’re selling me out!’ Cadence exclaimed.
Thora gave a smirk. She was clearly very pleased with herself.
Without any warning, Thora had kicked Cadence to the ground. As Cadence struggled to her hooves, vines erupted from the ground and wound themselves around Cadence’s back legs and middle. It was the Empress’s turn to feel pleased with herself.
‘Thora,’ Cadence gasped croakily, ‘why are you doing this to me?’
‘Because I hate you!’ Thora snarled.
She had obviously been working up to this for some time.
‘I hate your voice, I hate your beautiful hair, your pretty face! I hate those big eyes of yours! I hate your wings, your horn! I hate how you’re so perfect all the time! I hate the way you managed to get away from my cousin when she tried to give you what you deserved!’
‘You know about that!’ Cadence exclaimed.
‘Of course I do!’ Thora snapped, tears welling up in her eyes, ‘I asked her to get rid of you if you happened to cross her path! You got rid of the one pony I could relate to! Joe knew very well why I was bullying him! He was probably just too scared to tell you. All you ever think about is yourself!’
‘That’s not true,’ Cadence retorted, now knowing that Joe had tried to warn her about this, ‘I’m always thinking of others!’
‘You never think about me when you’re flouncing your charms on Shining Armor!’ Thora spat, angry tears pouring down her face.
The Empress did not look impressed by this display.
‘You dumped him!’ Cadence shouted, ‘I didn’t steal him from you!’
Was it just Cadence or was Thora a little taller than she had been before? Her nose looked sharper and Cadence was almost certain her legs were a bit thinner. Thora punched Cadence in the face in fury.
‘If you knew . . !’ Thora began savagely, ‘I don’t care what you think, Princess. You’re going to get what you deserve!’
Cadence suddenly came to her senses.
‘Help!’ Cadence cried.
‘No Shining Armor around to save you this time!’ Thora sneered.
‘I’ll shrink her,’ the Empress told Thora, ‘and you summon the cage.’
Cadence could suddenly feel herself getting smaller. When she stopped, she found that she was about a fifth of her normal size, and quickly found herself being shoved into a cage. Cadence tried to shout but it seemed her voice had shrunk too. She could barely make herself heard. The Empress picked the cage up in her mouth and she and Thora trotted away.
*
‘WHAT!’ Shining Armor yelled.
‘You just let her walk off with her!’ Joe cried.
Fleur de Lis and Millie were rather taken aback by Joe’s and Shining Armor’s extreme reactions.
‘They were just going to talk,’ Millie mumbled, trying to ignore the attention the colts had brought to them.
‘I know Thora very well,’ Shining Armor said grimly, seeming to calm down a bit (unlike Joe who was clearly panicking), ‘whatever she’s planning, it won’t end well. Not to mention Thora seems to be getting worse.’
‘I tried to warn her,’ Joe stammered, ‘I should have been blunter about it!’
‘We should go and look for them,’ Fleur de Lis told them, getting to her hooves.
‘You’re right,’ Millie responded, standing up too, ‘why didn’t I think of that?’
*
‘Which way did they go?’ Shining Armor inquired anxiously.
After a moment of looking around, Millie’s eyes fixed on a particular spot.
‘They went that way,’ Millie told them, ‘you can see where the ground is flatter than it would naturally be, but it’s not so trampled that it could be considered a regular path.’
The four ponies, Millie in the lead, Joe at the rear, hurried in the direction Thora and Cadence had gone. When they got to the spot where it, at first, appeared that Thora and Cadence had stopped, they knew something was amiss.
‘Something’s definitely wrong,’ Shining Armor sighed, ‘and there’s no evidence that either of them teleported.’
‘What have I done?’ Joe exclaimed, ‘I should have told her what I knew!’
‘We don’t know for sure that Cadence is in any real trouble,’ Fleur de Lis told him, trying to sound reassuring, ‘it could easily be just another one of Thora’s pranks.’
‘There are two sets of hoof prints leaving but neither of them is Cadence’s,’ Millie informed them, ‘the first set definitely belongs to Thora but the second set belongs to somepony who appears to resist gravity. What I mean is their hooves barely touch the ground.’
‘Are you saying this pony attacked them?’ Fleur de Lis asked.
‘Not both of them,’ Millie replied carefully, ‘I hate to say it but I think Joe’s right. It looks like they both ganged up on Cadence. At least, I’m almost certain that it was Thora who kicked Cadence down . . .’
‘It was a trap,’ Joe stated, ‘Thora lured Cadence into a trap and . . .’
‘I never truly thought Thora would sink this low,’ Shining Armor commented in a low, disbelieving voice.
‘I should have told on her,’ Fleur de Lis sighed, ‘like I promised Cadence I would if Thora did anything else.’
‘Who was this other pony though?’ Millie inquired.
‘Does Cadence have any enemies whose hooves barely touch the ground? Joe asked.
‘As a matter of fact,’ Shining Armor answered, ‘she does.’
Cadence found herself tumbling out of the cage and onto the floor.
‘You’ve caused me a lot of trouble, Cadenza,’ the Empress snarled, ‘not only did you get away and ruin my plans for Equestria, but you also freed two of my souls.’
‘They were never yours to start with!’ Cadence, who had returned to her normal size, butted in.
‘Both of which were giving me a lot of power,’ the Empress continued savagely, ‘now I not only want your soul, Cadenza, I need it. But all in good time . . .’
‘Aren’t you going to do it now?’ asked a surprised Thora.
‘Don’t you know anything about letting your victims stew?’ the Empress snapped impatiently.
She clearly didn’t think much of Thora at all. It seemed she was only letting Thora tag along because she had delivered Cadence to her.
‘No,’ the Empress went on, ‘we’ll put her in the dungeon with the others.’
Cadence quickly found herself blindfolded. She was being dragged forward (that was the Empress) and being shoved from behind (that was Thora). Cadence had had no idea where she was before she was blindfolded. All she knew now was that the ground was hard and cold, and that they had gone through several doors. Was it Cadence’s imagination or could she hear soft voices talking. The further they went, the louder it got, until, suddenly, there was silence. Then there was the sound of an iron door being opened.
‘P-p-please,’ a male voice suddenly stammered, ‘let Sky Skimmer go. If you do, I won’t try to run away or put up a fight . . .’
‘As if you could put up a fight!’ Thora spluttered with a high laugh.
The Empress gave an amused giggle while pushing Cadence inside and removing the blindfold.
‘She stays, Snowhoof,’ the Empress told the desperate stallion, ‘if you keep up this annoying begging and pleading she’ll be the first to go, or, perhaps, I’ll make her watch me suck the soul out of you.’
The Empress turned her head towards the female earth pony who wished the foreleg in front of her face could hide her.
‘What do you think, my dear? Do you want to go first? Or would you rather watch your hero die?’
Sky Skimmer turned her face away.
‘Looks like your fillyfriend won’t be getting away,’ Thora sneered.
‘She’s not my fillyfriend,’ Snowhoof mumbled, ‘she rejected me . . .’
Sky Skimmer looked at the ground. The Empress locked the door behind Cadence and motioned Thora to follow her, which, after giving Cadence one last nasty grin, Thora did.
Cadence heard somepony erupt into sobs. At first, she thought it was Sky Skimmer, but when she turned to look, she saw that it was actually Snowhoof.
‘What am I going to do!’ Snowhoof cried, ‘I’ve got to get you out of here, Sky Skimmer! That foul creature has no mercy, nor an ounce of pity!’
The other stallion, a pegasus, in the cell gave a sigh, and slowly got up and came over to Cadence. When he was quite close to her, he stopped in his tracks and his mouth fell open.
‘Princess Cadence!’ he gasped, ‘is that you?’
Cadence suddenly realized she knew the two stallions and they were the two that had gone missing from the Royal Guard. Evidently they had both been off duty when they had been taken prisoner, as neither of them were wearing armor and Snowhoof was wearing glasses rather than contact lenses. Sky Skimmer must be the third pony who had gone missing. The way the horrified guard was staring at her made Cadence feel a bit awkward. She decided to ask him some questions.
‘How did the three of you get caught?’ Cadence inquired.
‘I was injured in battle,’ the pegasus guard told Cadence, ‘and I got back to base okay, so I was able to persuade the other guards that I could make it home okay. That creature attacked me on my way home and I was in no state to fight her off, not that I didn’t try of course. Sky Skimmer got caught in a trap that creature set and Snowhoof tried to help her. Snowhoof could easily have got away but he wouldn’t leave Sky Skimmer. He wasn’t able to fight that creature off. It’s strange really. He’s usually a wimp, a much bigger wimp I mean.’
Cadence glanced over at Snowhoof and Sky Skimmer.
‘Sky Skimmer’s been really badly affected by all this, the pegasus guard went on, ‘she’s usually very chatty but since she’s arrived here she’s barely said a word. All she seems to do now is make squeaking noises every so often, and occasionally move a bit closer to Snowhoof.’
Cadence felt rather sorry for the mare but couldn’t help wondering why she had turned Snowhoof down.
‘We have to get out of here,’ Cadence stated, glancing over at the crumpled Sky Skimmer, ‘you three are earth ponies and a pegasus, maybe some magic will work.’
‘But that creature has magic too, doesn’t she?’ Sky Skimmer mumbled.
It must have been the first time she had spoken in ages. Snowhoof looked bother shocked a relieved.
‘I was starting to think you had lost the ability to speak,’ Snowhoof blurted out, ‘I’m so glad you haven’t. I was so worried!’
Sky Skimmer turned away from him in embarrassment.
‘I think that creature’s magic works in a different way from a unicorn’s,’ the pegasus guard said, ‘so it may have a chance.’
‘And I thoroughly doubt Thora’s been allowed enough involvement to have used any magic on it herself.’ Cadence added.
‘We’ll have to watch out for that filly once we’re out,’ stated the pegasus guard, ‘she may not be very experienced in the evil ways unlike, um . . .’
‘White Flame,’ Cadence suddenly put in.
‘Is that the creature’s name?’ Snowhoof asked.
‘How did you know?’ Sky Skimmer inquired.
‘It is,’ Cadence began hesitantly, ‘I just suddenly knew. I don’t know how. It was as if a voice in my head just told me her name is White Flame.’
‘Are you sure you didn’t hear her name mentioned before and you’re only remembering now?’ the pegasus guard asked; he sounded doubtful.
‘I’m certain,’ Cadence replied.
‘Is this really the time to argue about it?’ Snowhoof inquired in a voice which was only just audible when the pegasus guard looked like he might be about to argue.
Snowhoof seemed to think that every moment wasted put Sky Skimmer in more danger, and Cadence very much doubted that, despite the fact he was a royal guard, he had even realized who she was.
Cadence turned her attention to the bars that were depriving them of their freedom. First, Cadence tried to unlock the door. She tried several times while the other three looked on hopefully, but she either couldn’t do the spell properly or it was the wrong type of lock. She had always struggled to unlock doors by magic (she could lock them just fine). Second, she tried several spells on the bars. She tried to bend them; she tried to make them narrower; she tried to shrink them. These failing, she even tried some spells on the bars on her right side which were between them and the next cell, which had its door slightly ajar. Sky Skimmer let out a couple of dry sobs on Snowhoof’s shoulder.
‘Are we really truly stuck?’ Snowhoof inquired.
‘There must be some way to get out of here,’ said Cadence thoughtfully, scratching her horn with a hoof.
Cadence’s eyes fell on the soft ground. Perhaps she could use some sort of digging spell.
*
‘What I was going to say earlier was that Thora might not be very experienced,’ the pegasus guard told them, ‘but unlike White Flame, she has no real control. Her behavior is unpredictable. She could do anything at any time.’
Cadence nodded. Snowhoof wasn’t really listening. His main concern was that Sky Skimmer stayed close to him and didn’t strangle behind.
‘Maybe you should lower the volume a bit,’ Sky Skimmer suggested quietly.
‘What is this place anyway?’ Cadence inquired.
‘It’s rather likely that it’s an abandoned shadow pony settlement,’ the pegasus guard replied.
Cadence nodded, not really taking it in. It suddenly dawned upon her that it could take them a very long time to find the way out. On turning a corner, and entering a chamber, they caught sight of a rather surprised Thora. Thora’s surprise quickly turned to rage.
‘Don’t think you’re going to get away, Princess,’ Thora snarled.
Snowhoof was rather bemused, then seemed to noticed Cadence’s horn and wings for the first time. Although she was hiding it well, Cadence came to realization that Thora was afraid. She couldn’t let Cadence slip away now. Not after all she had said and done, and she had no intention of doing so.
‘What would your parents think of you divulging in such a hobby?’ Sky Skimmer suddenly said scornfully.
Before Sky Skimmer had spoken, both stallions had been about to attack Thora in order to protect the princess, but now Thora’s anger had been transferred to Sky Skimmer.
‘Just as I suspected,’ Sky Skimmer whispered to Cadence, ‘her actions are controlled by her anger.’
Cadence blinked in surprise. Sky Skimmer was evidently cleverer than she looked. Snowhoof had moved closer to Sky Skimmer again, thinking that she might be in more danger now than Cadence.
‘We should really aim to capture her,’ the pegasus guard muttered to himself thoughtfully, ‘but in this situation, it could put the princess’s safety in jeopardy.’
‘Perhaps we should aim to scare her off,’ Snowhoof suggested in a low voice, having overheard the pegasus guard, ‘I can’t see her running back to White Flame.’
‘We could divide and conquer using Thora’s anger,’ Cadence put in under her breath.
Sky Skimmer gave a nod, and, before the stallions could object, Cadence and Sky Skimmer had raced off in opposite directions. Their actions caused the stallions and Thora to become confused but it also noticeably made Thora’s rage increase. Yes, Cadence decided, Thora had definitely increased in height slightly, and now, Cadence also saw that Thora’s horn had become almost as sharp as that of Goody Four-Shoes’s. Cadence gave a small shudder as she ran.
Predictably, Thora went for Cadence with only a few moments of hesitation, completely ignoring the two stallions that had been in front of her.
‘You really should consider some anger management classes,’ Sky Skimmer commented in a loud voice.
Thora tore her gaze away from Cadence and pelted towards Sky Skimmer. The stallions, seeing what the mare and filly were trying to do, rushed in.
They were getting close to the doorway before Thora suddenly realized what they were doing. Once in the tunnels again, they would be so easy to lose. At any rate, she doubted she would be able to keep up with them beyond the doorway. Her anger was taking its toll on her stamina. She had one last chance. Thora dived at Cadence.
Thora, although stronger than Cadence, was no-where near as strong as Cadence had expected, and she seemed to be struggling, but, then again, Thora’s strengths did revolve around her ability to manipulate. Thora may not even have really physically attacked anypony before.
It was very hard for Cadence to avoid Thora’s bitter punches while she was being held down. What had she really done to deserve such hatred from Thora? Was this her fault? Could she have done something differently? The weight was suddenly lifted from Cadence and she looked up to see the pegasus guard and Snowhoof, each holding one of Thora’s forelegs.
With a sudden, desperate strength, Thora managed to break free. To Cadence’s surprise, Thora pelted towards the doorway.
‘Are you okay, Princess?’ the pegasus guard asked Cadence while Snowhoof was pushing his glasses back up his nose at the same time as making sure Sky Skimmer was okay.
A small thought occurred to Cadence.
‘Does Sky Skimmer already have a coltfriend?’ Cadence whispered to the pegasus guard.
‘That’s the odd thing,’ the pegasus guard responded in a low voice, ‘she doesn’t, and she’s never had one despite her likable personality.’
This puzzled Cadence even more but she put it from her mind, there were more important things to think about right now, like which one of the many tunnels they should take. Once they had gone through the doorway, it became even more obvious that they could very easily get endlessly lost. Not to mention that White Flame was probably on their trail. If only they had thought to follow Thora. At least it appeared that there were only a few of White Flame’s followers, if any, which were here. It was clear that her only reason for being in such a place at all was to capture Cadence.
As Cadence stared at the tunnels, she gave a startled blink. She had thought she had seen something, or, at least, been aware that something was there.
‘Is something wrong?’ Snowhoof asked anxiously.
Cadence shook her head, slightly dazed. There it was again. Something between light and sparkles.
‘Did you see that?’ Cadence asked cautiously.
The expressions on the other ponies’ faces made it clear that they hadn’t seen it. The sparkly light seemed to stop in its tracks and form into an outline of a familiar pony. Cadence stared.
‘True Star?’ Cadence mouthed, but no sound escaped her lips.
Cadence quickly realized that, for some reason, she was the only one who could see it. Maybe it was all in her mind. The outline jolted her head and moved a small distance down a tunnel before stopping and looking back.
‘Is something wrong?’ Snowhoof inquired with increasing worry.
‘I think,’ Cadence said slowly, ‘I think I know which way to go.’
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.’
Cadence’s light hooves gently touched the mossy earth beneath them as she slowly walked down the path. The trees towered above her, and the track that was leading her on, although clear, had obviously not been used for some time. The forest undergrowth was more than beginning to eat away at it, and overgrown weeds were arching over it, making it unusually narrow in some places.
The green leaves rustled in a slight breeze, and Cadence suddenly became more aware of the basket in her dry mouth. It seemed uncomfortable, and a little heavy. In an instant, a raven’s cry could be heard from the sky above, causing Cadence’s coat to stand on end, and her blood to run cold.
Everything seemed to become darker within a few moments, and each noise sounded louder. Cadence raised a hoof to pull down the red hood which was covering her head, and listened attentively to the sounds around her. Within a few moments, she had the distinct feeling she was being stalked.
As Cadence quickened her pace to a trot, she could hear twigs cracking beneath another’s hooves. The forest now seemed to be shrouded in darkness, and, up ahead, in the clearing beyond, there was a river. Cadence knew she was being chased.
To a canter. To a gallop. She raced on. The river seemed to become further and further away. Exhaustion was coming onto her a lot faster than it should have. Her increasing fear was the only thing that allowed her to go on.
He was chasing her. He was after her. Something was telling Cadence that she must get to that river. She couldn’t let him get her. Too much was at stake. She was gasping for air, barely able to breathe. She wanted to scream. She wanted to shout.
She was into the clearing. She didn’t know how it had happened so fast. It had seemed such a distance a few moments before. The river! She was almost there! She could barely move. She could hardly stand. She collapsed at the water’s edge. It was no use. She was doomed.
She could sense his presence. Cadence could do little more than strain her neck to look at her own reflection in the calm, shimmering water. True Star’s reflection looked back at her, wearing the same expression and red hood. As Cadence stared down at herself, she realized she was True Star.
She did not notice that the basket had disappeared from sight. Nor that He was not reflected in the river. She knew he was behind her. She dared not look. She could feel herself curling into a ball and hiding her face. She wanted to shout and scream more than ever now, but her voice seemed to be gone. Any light left was ebbing away. She closed her eyes.
**
‘Raven Mocker!’ Cadence gasped.
She blinked. Her eyes were open. She could once again smell the fresh cut grass. She could feel a flower petal that the gentle wind had allowed to land on her mane. Cadence raised a hoof to lightly brush it off.
She gave a yawn and stretched. Her neck and some of her muscles ached slightly from being in inconvenient positions. Her heart was still beating fast. Cadence looked down to see what her head had been resting on. It was an open book, a copy of Little Red Riding Hooves.
Cadence gave a sigh. It had just been a nightmare. She must’ve fallen asleep. She could only just vaguely remember having been reading the book. It was odd now she thought about it. She hadn’t had a bad dream since she had been in that lake. Perhaps that what I get for sleeping during the day, Cadence thought.
Nearly every nightmare she had had involved Raven Mocker in some way. She supposed that he must’ve affected her the most, although she couldn’t figure out exactly why. As if goblins, under-water monsters, the Empress and pony-devouring black holes weren’t able to give you nightmares.
Cadence sat up. She was in the Canterlot Gardens. Princess Celestia had once again decided that Cadence should stay closer to home to avoid danger. This had come at a rather inconvenient time for Cadence. Since Thora’s betrayal, parents had been far less inclined to allow Cadence to foalsit. As they apologetically explained, if Cadence could be so easily tricked by Thora, and so easily endangered, they couldn’t rely on her to keep their foals safe. Other ponies, though protective of her, appeared to think that they would be putting themselves at risk if they went too near to her.
This was the very reason she had told so few ponies about the Mark. This is the reaction she would’ve expected. And with Shining Armor spending almost any free time he had doing extra training, almost all her regular activities were out. Cadence couldn’t help but think that she might as well be stabled. She doubted she was much safer here anyway.
A wisp of blue shot passed.
‘Trixie,’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘wait!’
But it was too late. Cadence sighed again. Trixie had not really been herself since Thora, and Cadence couldn’t help but suspect that Trixie felt too embarrassed to talk to her. Cadence got to her hooves and began to make her way back to the castle. At least Aquila and Dusk would be coming to visit the day after tomorrow. She hadn’t seen them for some time.
Cadence vaguely wondered when Shining Armor’s promotion would be announced. As Cadence neared the castle, she caught sight of something. Shining Armor! Cadence hurried over, but stopped in her tracks. He looked so miserable! She had never seen him look more unhappy!
‘Shining Armor,’ Cadence cried, ‘what’s the matter! What’s wrong?’
Cadence put a foreleg around him.
‘Oh,’ Shining Armor replied weakly, ‘well, I, I didn’t get the promotion . . .’
‘What!’ Cadence spluttered, ‘but you were so obviously the prime candidate! I thought nearly all of the Royal Guard knew that! And after all those extra training sessions . . !’
‘I know,’ Shining Armor responded heavily.
‘I’m going to complain about this,’ Cadence stated, ‘who did get the position?’
‘Some newbie,’ Shining Armor told her sadly, ‘came out of no-where it seems. At any rate, he had a record of his achievements and he’s a stallion while I’m still a colt . . .’
‘That’s absurd!’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘no newbie should be given your job! At any rate, you deserve it and have the right character.’
‘Who are you going to complain to?’ Shining Armor asked anxiously.
‘Auntie Tia,’ Cadence said in a very serious tone.
*
‘It’s ridiculous!’ Cadence shouted.
‘For the third time, Cadence, it was out of my hooves,’ Celestia yelled.
‘You had to confirm it!’ Cadence retorted savagely, ‘You should’ve said no, or at least questioned it!’
‘The captain was very impressed with him,’ Celestia tried to tell Cadence calmly, ‘and once you meet him, you probably will be too. I can understand why you wanted Shining Armor . . .’
‘For the last time,’ Cadence exclaimed furiously, ‘most of the Royal Guard agrees with me! And what gives you the impression I’m going to meet him?’
‘You have to, Cadence, it’s only polite,’ Celestia told her.
‘I don’t really feel like being polite!’ Cadence snapped.
Celestia gave a sigh.
‘Be at the guard post near the gate in twenty minutes, Cadence,’ Celestia replied in a bored tone, ‘we’ll meet Hawk Talons there.’
*
Cadence went to sit with Shining Armor by the steps and sulked. Shining Armor mumbled sadly about how Starburst would be coming the next day, and how he had been looking forward to telling him about his promotion, while Cadence made some slightly rude remarks about her aunt.
Cadence made sure she was late for meeting this new so-called guard. She left Shining Armor sitting there after twenty five minutes, aiming to be ten minutes late. She had been almost certain before she had met Hawk Talons that she would not like him. As she approached him and Celestia from a short distance, she knew her first impression would change her feelings. It wasn’t just that she did not like him, she almost hated him.
Celestia looked rather embarrassed by Cadence’s lateness. Hawk Talons looked over at Cadence as she approached with some interest. Cadence thought he looked decidedly odd. His coat was comprised of at least three different colors, his legs looked like they could’ve belonged to two different ponies, his curved horn reminded Cadence of King Sombra, and, his face was ever so slightly familiar. She couldn’t help herself staring at him.
‘Cadence,’ Celestia exclaimed, ‘you’re almost ten minutes late!’
Cadence didn’t regret her actions one bit, but kind of wished she hadn’t caused her aunt embarrassment. Celestia turned to Hawk Talons.
‘I’m sorry she kept us waiting,’ Celestia said, ‘I told her to be here in twenty minutes. She must’ve forgotten about the time.’
Cadence couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty that Celestia was apologizing for her, but very much wished she hadn’t. This stallion didn’t deserve an apology.
‘No apology necessary,’ Hawk Talons replied with an air of confidence that Cadence did not at all like, ‘I’m sure she has lots to do.’
Cadence couldn’t help but wonder if he knew very well that she had been bored, lonely, and had had nothing to do. She continued to stare at him. He probably looked even stranger without his armor on.
‘I had a little accident,’ Hawk Talons explained with an innocent smile, noticing that Cadence was staring at him.
Cadence scowled at him.
‘Why are you called Hawk Talons anyway?’ Cadence asked him abruptly.
Hawk Talons’s smile broadened. Suddenly, sharp, bird like talons appeared, slightly above his hooves, on his forelegs. Cadence almost jumped.
‘That’s why,’ Hawk Talons replied, displaying a foreleg quite close to her face, ‘they can be very useful.’
Cadence wasn’t sure whether she was being threatened or not. Celestia didn’t seem to think so. He made his talons disappear again, and looked back at Cadence, who continued to scowl at him.
‘I think,’ Hawk Talons said slowly, ‘I think you and I are going to be great friends. Don’t you think so, Princess?’
Cadence seriously doubted it, but made no reply. His phony charm made Cadence feel a bit sick, and she could barely believe that her aunt couldn’t see through it. The captain obviously hadn’t either. He couldn’t have picked a worse stallion for the job.
Cadence got away as soon as she had the opportunity. As she hurried off, she just made out Celestia telling Hawk Talons how the captain was taking a group of guards out the day after tomorrow, and that he would be in charge of most of the security that day. Cadence shuddered at the thought, and, once out of sight, gave a sigh before trying to catch her breath. She hadn’t noticed the creepy way Hawk Talons had looked at her.
What should Cadence do? Maybe she should think about what somepony else would do. Celestia? Well Cadence knew what she was doing! Who else? Starburst? She wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure what most ponies she knew would do. True Star? Cadence barely knew her, but she did know she was very brave. So what was the brave thing to do? Keep an eye on him. See what he was up to and what he was really like. Maybe she could even gain enough evidence that Celestia would agree with her rather than thinking she was just angry Shining Armor hadn’t got the position.
She’d better keep out of sight though. If Cadence was completely right about Hawk Talons, he wouldn’t take at all kindly to being spied on. She decided to tell Shining Armor what she was planning to do in case he spotted her in action. When she told him, she could tell he was worried.
‘I should warn you,’ Shining Armor said quietly, ‘that Hawk Talons doesn’t like me very much. He seems jealous. Don’t know why though. He’s already taken my job, what more does he want?’
‘He’s probably jealous because you’re better than him,’ Cadence responded, ‘probably realizes you should have got the job rather than him.’
Shining Armor gave a small sigh.
Cadence didn’t like spying on Hawk Talons. Her instincts were telling her to get as far away from him as possible and she was having to get pretty close to see what was going on and hear what he was saying. She very quickly realized that she had no idea when or where various training sessions were held. Shining Armor only knew when his own were. Cadence would be very lucky to locate Hawk Talons while he was occupied unless she could obtain some sort of timetable.
If Hawk Talons had an office or something, she knew where it would be. There was a large room where off-duty guards would often come to relax. Cadence knew about this room because she had often gone there to look for Shining Armor. This would be an advantage to her as being there wouldn’t look in the least bit suspicious, plus, maybe she could overhear what some of the other guards thought of Hawk Talons.
Heading off this room were several corridors, leading to other rooms. Cadence took a saddlebag, placing a notebook and pen inside, then, to reduce suspicion, she added several other objects, including her necklace, a spare hair ribbon and a packet of tissues.
It was early morning now. Cadence had been awake half the night thinking about it. Her eyes felt heavy with tiredness and she had a slight horn ache as she entered the room uneasily. She couldn’t help but feel a little worried that somepony might unwittingly become an obstacle if they stopped her to chat. She hadn’t even mentioned this part of the spying idea to Shining Armor but, at least, she was almost certain that he would have left the room.
A couple of guards greeted Cadence, used to her coming in to find Shining Armor or to check his timetable. Unfortunately, the timetables on display only had when various groups were training, but not who would be in charge or who was in each group. Cadence had half expected this. She must get going before the crowd died down even more.
Cadence turned into the corridor, labeled ‘offices’, as casually as she could. She could feel her heart rate increasing as she walked along hurriedly. There were three possibilities: he didn’t have an office so she would have to follow him all day or hope there was something in the captain’s office; he was in his office; or he wasn’t in his office. If he wasn’t in there, she’d have to be very quick as he could arrive at any time.
Cadence was aiming to get there before Hawk Talons did, that’s why she’d come early in the morning. She was so deep in thought that she almost walked straight past it. He wasn’t in there. She glanced around. There was no-pony who might see her. Cadence rushed inside. The office was very untidy despite the fact that Hawk Talons had only been given the position the previous day. Cadence felt certain that, despite his age, Shining Armor would’ve been much more able to keep up to date with his paperwork. There wasn’t a huge amount of paper, but it still managed to cover a large amount of the desk and floor.
Cadence began to rummage through the mess as quickly as she could. After a few moments, she found what she was looking for. She took off the saddlebag and summoned the notepad and pen, before beginning to copy down the timetable. She had just finished when she heard an urgent male voice.
‘Get out! Hurry! He’s coming!’
Cadence didn’t think twice. She shoved the notebook and pen into the saddlebag, before grabbing it in her mouth. She didn’t even know who had spoken until she got out of the room.
As soon as Cadence got out the room, she crashed into Starburst. Within a few seconds, Hawk Talons had turned the corner, and was charging towards them. The items in Cadence’s bag had been scattered across the floor when she crashed into Starburst. In a clumsy panic, Cadence tried to grab them and put them back in the bag as fast as she could.
As she looked around for her necklace, Cadence saw hooves in front of her. She looked up to see Hawk Talons towering above her. He did not look pleased. He looked very much like he wanted to strike her. Cadence could tell that Hawk Talons knew she had been in his office. They both caught sight of the necklace at the same time. Cadence got a very bad feeling from the glint in Hawk Talons’s eye.
Before either of them could act, however, Starburst had summoned Cadence’s necklace. Hawk Talons glared at him. Starburst glared back. For a moment, Cadence got the distinct impression that they somehow knew each other. Starburst gave Cadence’s necklace back to her. Hawk Talons looked furious. As Cadence did up her saddlebag, her hooves shaking slightly, Starburst put a protective wing over her. Hawk Talons turned and walked off. Once he was gone, Starburst turned back to Cadence.
‘Are you alright?’ Starburst inquired anxiously. Cadence nodded slowly.
‘Do you know him?’ Cadence asked after a moment.
‘I don’t think so,’ Starburst replied, ‘but I don’t like him at all.’
‘Do you think he would’ve struck me?’ Cadence inquired nervously.
‘I don’t know,’ Starburst responded in a slightly thoughtful and miserable tone.
‘May I come and do some dusting for you?’ Cadence asked abruptly.
Starburst looked a little surprised.
‘Just to say thank you?’ Cadence continued, ‘I couldn’t help noticing the place . . .’
Starburst gave a small smile.
*
Cadence gave a sneeze and Starburst passed her a tissue.
‘I really appreciate this,’ Starburst told Cadence for the fifth time, ‘I’m afraid I rather struggle to cope with things.’
‘It’s not surprising after what happened,’ Cadence replied.
‘You know about that?’ Starburst gasped.
‘Well, no,’ Cadence mumbled, ‘but it must’ve been bad if you had to give up your job and chances.’
‘You have no idea . . .’ Starburst said croakily.
For a moment, Cadence thought he was going to burst into tears. She suddenly remembered the picture on the mirror. Before she caught sight of it, however, Starburst had snatched it away. Cadence was slightly startled.
‘I’m sorry,’ Starburst said when he noticed, ‘this is private, very personal . . .’
Cadence gave an understanding nod as Starburst clutched the picture to him.
‘I’m trying my best to find a way to get rid of Hawk Talons,’ Cadence told him after a while, ‘he should never have got the position.’
‘Nice to know it’s not just me and Shining Armor who think that,’ Starburst replied, ‘so that’s what you were doing in there, gathering evidence against him.’
‘Actually, I was copying down his timetable so I could more effectively spy on him,’ Cadence told him shyly.
‘Problem is,’ Cadence said with a sigh, ‘I need evidence that isn’t anywhere near personal. Auntie Tia is convinced that I’m only angry that Shining Armor didn’t get the position.’
‘Well, I can tell you what I’ve heard from the other guards,’ Starburst responded, ‘first, he’s very controlling and seems to enjoy giving out punishments; secondly, he treats no-pony with any respect unless they’re important, then he acts all charming. Oh, and a lot of the guards seem to, at least, be a little afraid of him.’
*
Starburst had turned out to be more or less correct about Hawk Talons. Cadence managed to note down quite a number of examples of his behavior. Early the next morning, she hurried to her aunt’s room and presented what Cadence thought was a very good case. She was disappointed when Celestia told her she would ‘think about it’. Cadence wondered if she had just said that so Cadence would stop pestering her. At any rate, Cadence knew the longer Hawk Talons stayed, the less the likelihood of getting rid of him was.
Cadence wasn’t really watching where she was going, and crashed right into Hawk Talons.
‘Good morning, Princess,’ Hawk Talons said casually with a small smile.
He seemed very happy about something. Cadence hated to think what.
‘Won’t you join me for breakfast?’ Hawk Talons added.
‘No thank you,’ Cadence replied coldly, ‘your company would rather put me off my food.’
Hawk Talons gave a high laugh, which gave Cadence the shivers.
‘Come now, sweetheart,’ Hawk Talons continued, turning his head way, a small smirk on his face, ‘I’m not that bad, am I?’
Cadence’s eyes widened, her mouth slightly open. As Hawk Talons walked off, Cadence stared after him, frozen to the spot, seeing him as he really was. As she slowly became able to move again, she could feel herself shaking. She knew why his face had seemed familiar. A large part of her wanted to scream for help. She had to tell somepony. She needed help. Auntie Tia! She would have to believe her now, now that she knew what was really wrong, why Hawk Talons was here!
But Celestia would be leaving at any moment! And so would a large amount of the Royal Guard! And Hawk Talons would be left in charge of a large amount of security!
Raven Mocker would be left in charge of a large amount of security.
Cadence raced to her aunt’s room, but Celestia wasn’t there. She wasn’t at breakfast either. With increasing panic, Cadence galloped towards the main entrance to Canterlot. When she got there, she almost sent an orange-yellow unicorn filly flying.
‘Sorry,’ Cadence told her breathlessly.
The filly seemed more or less unaffected. She cleared her throat.
‘Princess Celestia has left Canterlot to meet a couple of visitors,’ the filly said, clearly having rehearsed it, ‘until she comes back it is strongly advised that no-pony leaves Canterlot. Rest assured that the Royal Guard, Hawk Talons, has been put in charge of security until the princess and the captain of the Royal Guard return.’
Cadence was horrified. Celestia was gone, the captain of the guard was gone, and with him quite a few of the other guards. Those who hadn’t gone were under the control of Raven Mocker, who could easily send them off to patrol or guard places that were convenient for his own intentions. He needed to be revealed before what remained of the Royal Guard was given commands.
Cadence would tell Shining Armor. He would help her. He would need no explanation once she told him who Hawk Talons really was. With this in mind, Cadence quickly realized that getting Shining Armor out of the way would be a high priority for Raven Mocker. It was just lucky that Shining Armor hadn’t been picked for the group that had gone out with the captain.
She turned away from the main entrance and hurried back the way she’d come. Cadence quickly caught sight of a line of guards who Raven Mocker was talking to. And Shining Armor was among them. They were probably about to be sent off! Cadence dashed towards them. The guards were rather taken aback by her speedy arrival.
‘No-pony go anywhere until I say so,’ Cadence told them, ‘Shining Armor, I need to speak to you for a moment in private.’
Hawk Talons’s lip curled.
‘They will go when I say so,’ Hawk Talons snarled threateningly,’ I would strongly advise you keep your mouth shut, Princess.’
The other guards looked rather shocked at the way he was speaking to her. Shining Armor moved out of line, and towards Cadence.
‘Don’t you dare go with her!’ Hawk Talons snapped.
‘It’s urgent,’ Cadence told Shining Armor with a pleading look in her eyes.
Shining Armor nodded, and they began to walk off.
‘Get back here!’ Hawk Talons spat, ‘Get back here or I’ll have you kicked out!’
Shining Armor hesitated for a moment, then turned his head.
‘Being a Royal Guard is about protecting Canterlot, protecting the princesses,’ Shining Armor said angrily, ‘a princess is clearly in need of help here, it would be against my duty to refuse, for any of us to refuse her. If following orders is more important than doing the right thing, then I quit!’
When Cadence and Shining Armor were a short distance away, they stopped.
‘I really hope this is important, Cadence,’ Shining Armor said solemnly.
Cadence felt incredibly guilty. Shining Armor had given up his dream for her sake. She gave a nod and swallowed anxiously.
‘Well,’ she began hesitantly, ‘it’s about Hawk Talons . . .’
Shining Armor scowled at her, and Cadence realized he thought it wasn’t nearly as important as she had made out.
‘He’s not what he looks like,’ Cadence continued, panic emerging more in her voice, the more she said, ‘I don’t know how he did it. But Auntie Tia’s gone, a large amount of the guard is gone, and I only realized a short time ago!’
‘What did you realize?’ Shining Armor responded urgently, putting a hoof on her shoulder, ‘you can tell me.’
Cadence was close to tears now, and shaking rather violently.
‘Hawk Talons,’ Cadence stuttered, ‘Hawk Talons is, he is, he’s Raven Mocker!’
Shining Armor’s face would have gone pale if he hadn’t had a white coat.
‘But he’s in charge of security!’ Shining Armor exclaimed, ‘we’ll have to find a way of revealing him!’
Cadence had been thinking the same thing and her mind fell on his armor.
They rushed back to where the guards were, hoping they hadn’t gone. Fortunately, what Shining Armor had said had inspired the other guards to ignore Hawk Talons’s orders.
‘What are you two doing!’ Hawk Talons yelled, clearly frustrated, as Cadence and Shining Armor approached at a rapid pace.
‘We were wondering how you managed to change your appearance so drastically!’ Cadence retorted.
The other guards looked bewildered. Before Hawk Talons could reply, Shining Armor had attacked him. A few of the other guards tried to pull Shining Armor off.
Starburst, who had been heading to the florists, heard the commotion, and hurried over. The three guards who were trying to stop Shining Armor were making matters difficult, and had almost overcome him. With one last effort, he managed to damage Hawk Talons’s armor enough that part of the front of it fell off, revealing a patch of black coat. For a moment, there was silence.
‘YOU!!!’ bellowed a voice full of rage.
Everypony turned their heads to see Starburst charging over. He attacked Hawk Talons with all the strength he had. The guards holding Shining Armor down let him go, realizing that if Starburst was attacking too, there must be a good reason. Starburst had managed to wrench Hawk Talons’s armor off piece by piece as they struggled, until the last piece was off. Starburst stopped to catch his breath.
Hawk Talons’s body looked even odder now. Among pieces of his natural coat colors, were many other different colors. His cutie mark seemed to be a combination of at least five other ponies’. Cadence gave a scream of horror on having an unpleasant realization.
‘His coat is made up of various different parts of his wives!’ Cadence shrieked.
She looked like she might faint or throw up. Raven Mocker leapt at Cadence, his face twisted with fury.
‘I’ll make you sorry, you little foal,’ Raven Mocker snarled.
His talons were out in an instant, and he was digging them into one of her forelegs. Cadence was screaming. The guards were charging over, Starburst and Shining Armor in the lead. Shining Armor was fast, but Starburst got there first. With an almighty kick, Raven Mocker was off Cadence.
‘Are you alright?’ Starburst asked Cadence.
‘Sort of,’ Cadence murmured, wincing in pain.
‘Let me help you,’ Starburst replied.
Raven Mocker gave a laugh. His disguise seemed to be pixelating and falling off him, disappearing into nothingness; his wings had reappeared.
‘You’re acting like she’s True Star!’ Raven Mocker sneered at Starburst, ‘By the way, how is True Star? Oh, wait, I killed her, didn’t I?’
Hot, angry tears were surging down Starburst’s face.
‘You did more than kill her!’ Starburst cried, his voice filled with emotion and rage, ‘I don’t know what you want with this poor filly but I won’t let you cause her any more harm!’
‘Haven’t you guessed?’ Raven Mocker chuckled.
Cadence didn’t know how she hadn’t realized before that Starburst must’ve been True Star’s fiancé. No wonder he was unable to cope!
None of the guards were in doubt that they were facing a threat and prepared to attack Raven Mocker and protect their princess. They didn’t notice the figures emerging from the shadows. Cadence was the first to catch sight of them.
‘Behind you!’ Cadence shouted.
Now noticed, the mutated changelings moved swiftly out of hiding and towards their leader and the ponies. This was only a small group of them but Cadence couldn’t help but suspect that there were a lot more dotted around the place, especially as Arachne and Lamia weren’t among the group.
The guards were too involved in fighting to notice Cadence race off, or that Raven Mocker quickly gave chase.
Cadence dashed through the doors as quickly as she could. Her beating heart and heavy breathing seemed to both enflame and numb her senses. It took very little time for her instincts to inform her she was being tracked, pursued, hunted. She magically shut every door she passed through. Maybe her recent boredom hadn’t been a complete waste of time after all. It meant that she knew the castle and surrounding area better than she otherwise would have. She tried to shake him off by taking odd choices of routes, but it seemed impossible.
‘He has a very good sense of smell,’ a female voice told Cadence, ‘and he can smell your fear.’
Cadence was in far too much of a panic to think who the voice belonged to, and she was quickly running out of energy. There was only one thing to do. Cadence dived into a small room and magically locked the door. Shining Armor may have thought she’d be safer inside, but with Raven Mocker on her tail, she would’ve been a lot safer outside. At least some of the Royal Guard would have been close at hoof.
Cadence tried to quieten her rather loud deep breathing as she leaned against the varnished wooden door, willing her aunt to return as soon as possible. She could hear hooves approaching, then slowing down, and coming to a standstill. He knows! Cadence thought desperately, He knows I haven’t gone any further down the corridor!
As Cadence watched him through the keyhole, Raven Mocker looked around thoughtfully for a moment, then sniffed the air. After a moment, Raven Mocker licked his lips and slowly headed towards the door with a vile grin on his face. Cadence could feel herself beginning to tremble as she watched him coming closer and closer, hoping dearly that he did not know how to unlock doors by magic.
‘I know you’re in there, sweetheart,’ came Raven Mocker’s soft and dangerous voice, ‘you can’t hide from me.’
‘As if I haven’t heard that one before!’ Cadence retorted, before she could stop herself.
‘Why don’t you just open the door for me, sweetheart?’ Raven Mocker said in a silky tone, ‘It’ll make it easier for both of us.’
‘Not likely!’ Cadence snapped.
Raven Mocker gave a phony sigh.
‘I guess I’ll just have to unlock it myself then,’ he responded.
Cadence could hear the lock turning, and backed away from the door in horror. The door swung open, and Raven Mocker stepped into the room, his hooves making a slight scraping noise on the slightly uneven, hard floor. Cadence’s heart was pounding. Raven Mocker was walking towards her. He was getting nearer and nearer.
In her panic, Cadence managed to teleport out of the room and back into the corridor. Taking advantage of the fact she had unwittingly caught Raven Mocker off guard, she fled.
It took longer than it should have for Cadence to catch sight of the sudden increase in cobwebs. And as she stared at them, as she ran, she crashed into something. Cadence had sent Lamia flying across the room. Cadence did not ponder the probability of her crashing into so many ponies recently.
Her senses heightened. She was in trouble, deep trouble. If Lamia were here then Arachne would be close by, not to mention that the cobwebs confirmed that she had, at least, been here not too long ago. Cadence dared a quick glance behind her, as she turned into another corridor.
As she turned her head forward again, Cadence saw Arachne sending cobwebs at her, her horn surrounded by a dark pink aura.
*
‘What’s going on?’ asked one of the guards, bemused, ‘why are they retreating?’
The stallions and Shining Armor all stared as the creatures they had been fighting raced off.
‘Something isn’t right here,’ Shining Armor said grimly.
‘I thought they were trying to take Canterlot or something,’ murmured another confused guard.
Starburst shook his head.
‘Raven Mocker’s too clever to think he could take Canterlot when Princess Celestia will be returning soon. It must have been something else,’ said Starburst in a mournful and thoughtful tone.
He looked up abruptly, then turned to Shining Armor.
‘Where’s Cadence?’ Starburst inquired.
Shining Armor was horror struck, suddenly realizing what he had done.
‘What have I done!’ Shining Armor cried,’ I was supposed to protect her! That’s why they must’ve all raced off! He’s got her!’
‘Shining Armor, calm down,’ Starburst told him softly, putting a hoof on his shoulder and attempting to make out what Shining Armor was going on about, ‘Are you . . ? Are you saying you think Raven Mocker’s ponynapped Cadence?’
Shining Armor seemed to calm down a bit and nodded.
‘She’s the reason he came,’ Shining Armor tried to explain without getting over emotional, ‘I thought she’d be safer inside. He . . . He wants to force her into marrying him and . . .’
Shining Armor stopped. Starburst suddenly looked very ill and seemed to have become panic itself.
‘He wants to do the same thing to her as he did to True Star!’ Starburst managed to gasp.
Shining Armor took charge.
‘You two search the castle quickly for possible witnesses and circumstances. We need to be completely certain Cadence didn’t get away and find any possible clues.’
Shining Armor turned to a fast pegasus guard.
‘Get ready to fly to Princess Celestia and tell her what has happened as soon as we have confirmation.’
The pegasus gave a nod.
‘The rest of you,’ Shining Armor said, ‘find any other guards who might be scattered around and bring them here.’
‘Are we going to make an attack?’ Starburst asked.
Shining Armor gave a firm nod.
‘This is my fault, Starburst,’ Shining Armor sighed heavily, ‘she would’ve been safer out here.’
‘It was an easy mistake. You did what you thought was best,’ Starburst replied, ‘we’ll get her back. I would make it a promise, but, I promised True Star I would always protect her . . .’
Shining Armor thought it best to change the subject slightly.
‘I’m surprised Cadence didn’t realize you were True Star’s fiancé sooner,’ Shining Armor started to say, ‘I mean, I don’t know all the details but . . .’
‘She knew about True Star!’ Starburst exclaimed.
‘Well, yeah,’ Shining Armor responded, a little taken aback.
They turned their heads to see the two guards who had been sent to search the castle returning, supporting an injured servant.
‘Princess Cadence is gone,’ the servant told them weakly, ‘that creature took her, him and a couple of his lackeys. I saw it happen.’
‘It’s nice weather, isn’t it Aquila?’ Celestia said brightly, in a failing attempt to make Aquila less depressed.
Celestia couldn’t help but miss the playful attitude Aquila had once possessed. Aquila gave a nod and tried to smile. In reality, she could no longer enjoy the pleasant day. Nothing looked like anything special anymore. It just looked gray. The warm sun seemed to burn her and the light seemed too bright.
Dusk held an awkward silence as they walked along. The problem was Aquila was nearly always in a bad state (which meant he couldn’t tell her anything slightly negative, as she would become terribly worse) and on those rare occasions she wasn’t, he didn’t have the heart to say anything. Now that Cadence had freed True Star’s soul, the issue had become a fly which he couldn’t flick away with his tail. He had to tell her that he had lied. He suddenly became aware of the sound of puffing and panting. He looked up.
Aquila had become aware of the sound moments before, and already had her head turned towards the sky, the light causing her to squint, and her golden hair slightly swaying in the breeze. Celestia recognized the source of the sound as being one of the pegasus ponies in the Royal Guard. The guard stopped, and hovered in mid-air in front of Celestia.
‘Your highness,’ he breathed, ‘there’s trouble. There was some fighting, many of the other guards are absent, and, it’s Cadence. She’s been ponynapped. Shining Armor’s taken charge and . . .’
‘Why isn’t Hawk Talons dealing with this?’ Celestia asked abruptly, rather overwhelmed with all the information.
‘Hawk Talons is the cause of the problems,’ the guard gasped, ‘he, he was responsible. He took Cadence. He wasn’t what we thought. Disguised himself somehow. Cadence, Starburst and Shining Armor seemed to have worked him out though. Apparently, his real name is Raven Mocker . . .’
Aquila gave a terrified shriek.
*
‘I . . .’ the servant tried to continue, ‘I heard a cry for help so I rushed in the direction it had come from. I saw the princess on the floor. She had been tied up using, well, it looked like cobwebs. The three creatures were trying to gag her, and I foalishly thought I could help her . . .’
‘And Raven Mocker did this to you?’ Shining Armor asked.
The servant nodded feebly, her hooves shaking slightly.
‘That poor filly,’ the servant murmured, ‘never done anything to harm anypony . . .’
To Shining Armor’s relief, the guards now returning had at least five more with them. Once they had all arrived, Shining Armor addressed the guards.
‘We need to race after Raven Mocker and his swarm, and attack,’ Shining Armor told them, ‘we can do it but we’ll have to move fast. One guard will stay here and take care of this injured mare. Everypony else must come. I know it may seem a big risk to leave Canterlot unguarded, but any less would mean we risk failing to rescue Cadence. Raven Mocker has no desire on anything but Cadence, so we will not be falling into a trap. Princess Celestia is being informed of the situation, but we cannot afford to wait for her return. Starburst and I will lead the attack.’
*
Cadence wasn’t happy. The cobwebs binding her were so tight that she couldn’t move, and could barely breathe, never mind try to free herself and attempt to escape. Not only that, but the cobwebs were somehow depriving her of her magic. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination or not, but it had seemed the more she’d tried to struggle, the tighter the cobwebs around her became.
Raven Mocker was enjoying himself watching Cadence’s helplessness. The rest of the creatures, which there were quite a few of, seemed to be packing up camp. Arachne and Lamia were supervising this activity, occasionally pestering the others to keep up the pace and hurry up.
They were only just outside Canterlot, on a mountain ledge below it. Raven Mocker casually glanced in the direction of the being dismantled camp. He seemed to be a bit concerned about the length of time it was taking.
‘Hiya, Princess,’ a female voice sneered, ‘Having fun?’
It was Thora. Cadence blinked in surprise.
‘Thora,’ called a slightly irritated Raven Mocker.
‘Yes, your majesty,’ Thora replied in an enthusiastic instant, ‘anything I can do for you?’
Cadence rolled her eyes. Thora had something in common with Fleur de Lis. Thora’s crush on Raven Mocker couldn’t have been more obvious. Cadence couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for her.
‘If I need anypony aside from myself to torment my princess, Thora,’ Raven Mocker told her with an irritated sigh, ‘I’ll let you know.’
Thora looked sulky, and glared enviously at the attention Raven Mocker was giving Cadence. Cadence wondered if Lightning Dust, who had disappeared a few days after Thora’s banishment, was here too, but she couldn’t make out the filly whom Thora had taken in among the crowd.
Cadence wondered how long it would take the others to realize she was missing, and how much longer it would take these creatures to dismantle their camp. There wasn’t much time left.
Arachne gave a sudden shout, directing everypony’s attention to the waterfall above. From behind it, the Royal Guards were beginning to emerge. Cadence could just make out Shining Armor and Starburst at the front of the group.
Raven Mocker quickly gave orders in a frustrated tone, and the swarm was ready for the coming attack much sooner than Shining Armor and Starburst had hoped. The guards moved swiftly but carefully down the mountain edge, very well aware that it was dangerous to attack and fight in such a place.
The swarm and the guards were almost evenly matched.
Raven Mocker, who had been doing nothing but standing possessively in front of Cadence since the battle began, was bellowing orders over the noise. Thora, who seemed to have somehow managed to sneak off, was no-where to be seen. Cadence knew that, as soon as no-pony was looking, Raven Mocker would drag her off, probably never to be seen again. Cadence closed her eyes tightly.
‘It’s okay,’ came a female voice, which Cadence recognized, but couldn’t quite put her hoof on, ‘you’re free!’
Cadence opened her eyes in surprise. The cobwebs were gone, that, indeed, she was free. Cadence was so relieved that she didn’t have the chance to think how.
Raven Mocker hadn’t noticed yet. This was her chance to escape. As quietly and as quickly as she could, she walked away from Raven Mocker, with a little difficulty due to her injured leg. As she moved, Cadence realized Raven Mocker was about to turn his head. With panic overcoming her pain, she broke into a run, then into a gallop. If she could get to the guards, she was more or less saved, but Raven Mocker wasn’t going to let her get away that easily, and he had a lot more stamina, as well as speed, than she had.
Cadence’s break for freedom, however, hadn’t gone unnoticed by the guards, who now knew where Cadence was. The guards were now aiming for Raven Mocker and Cadence, while the other mutated changelings tried to hinder them as much as possible. One of the guards managed to break through this defense just in time to prevent Raven Mocker from snatching away poor Cadence.
Now the defense had been broken through, and Cadence was closer to the guards, the swarm changed their tactics, needing to attack rather than fight mainly on the defensive. Unfortunately, it seemed they were much more skilled in attacking.
‘Get Cadence to safety!’ Shining Armor yelled to the pegasus guard who had rescued Cadence.
Once Cadence and the guard had got to the top, and were facing the entrance to Canterlot, she realized it was that same pegasus guard who had been imprisoned with her by White Flame, but Cadence realized something too.
‘Sir,’ Cadence began (for she realized she actually didn’t know the guard’s name, and felt she should address him in some way), ‘I think we may have a slight problem.’
The guard listened attentively.
‘You must return to the battle because you are greatly needed,’ Cadence said, ‘but it wouldn’t be a good idea to leave me here alone either.’
There was silence for a moment while the pegasus pony considered what Cadence had said carefully. He then took to his wings, and hovered in the air above, as Cadence watched him with interest. Once his hooves touched ground again, he turned to the princess.
‘It won’t be that much of an issue,’ he told her, ‘everypony is coming this way. I suspected this. They are moving to safer ground to fight on. No doubt Starburst and Shining Armor are hoping to cause some disarray in the enemy ranks.’
Cadence nodded.
‘What are these creatures anyway?’ the guard asked.
Cadence gave a shrug.
‘All I know is that they are mutated,’ Cadence replied.
As the guards came thundering into view, Cadence decided that she would be better off staying with the guards, who could protect her if necessary. She hoped that the three alicorns would arrive soon.
As soon as they were firmly on safe ground, the guards turned and some of them commenced an attack. Cadence kept looking hopefully towards the sky. They couldn’t be much longer surely?
Cadence found herself having to dodge attacks, as the lack of guards was really beginning to show on their rather flimsy defense. Everything and everypony seemed to be moving so fast. Cadence could just make out a ferocious fight between Starburst and Raven Mocker, who was making nasty remarks about True Star.
Cadence didn’t feel so good. She didn’t exactly feel ill or anything, but she felt rather funny, like she wasn’t herself somehow. She was aware that she was feeling emotions that weren’t her own: sorrow, pain, anguish, despair, love, and a hatred for Raven Mocker which was too strong to be her own.
This odd state had left Cadence frozen to the spot. One of the guards accidently knocked Cadence to the ground without realizing. Unfortunately, Raven Mocker did notice, and sought to take advantage.
A blast of magic seemed to erupt out of no-where.
‘DON’T YOU DARE!’ bellowed a terrifying and furious voice.
It was Aquila. As she breathed heavily and angrily, the sky darkened drastically. Both the mutated changelings and the guards began to fearfully back away from the emotional and enraged immortal alicorn. Celestia and Dusk, who had been hovering not too far behind Aquila, looked at each other, and followed suit, lowering themselves to the ground in the process. They knew very well how much damage Aquila was capable of with so little control.
Raven Mocker and Cadence were the only ones who didn’t back away. Cadence curled up into a ball and covered her head with her hooves. Raven Mocker had backed up a few steps to avoid the magic, but his obsessive nature was far greater than his fear.
After a moment, Raven Mocker began to approach Cadence again, who sat up. Her eyes were glazed over, and she looked straight at him with a defiant look which, on recognizing, made Raven Mocker stop in his tracks. Aquila was just about to send another spell at Raven Mocker when Cadence spoke, or rather, Cadence and somepony else spoke. Two female voices, speaking in unison, came from Cadence’s mouth.
‘I wouldn’t come any closer if I were you,’ they said.
Aquila slowly lowered herself to the ground, her mood changed completely.
‘Or you will come to regret it,’ they continued.
Starburst blundered forward to the front of the guards, with a shocked and longing look in his eyes.
‘I will not allow you to hurt her,’ the voices went on, the other female voice in ascendance.
Aquila looked like she was about to burst into tears, and the sky was gradually beginning to clear of her rage. Starburst’s face was becoming patchy and pale. Raven Mocker was frozen to the spot, staring in anger and fear.
‘Because I won’t let you do to her,’ she cried, ‘what you did to me!’
There was an eruption of pale blue-green light that seemed to come from somewhere inside Cadence. For a few moments, the light settled like a mist. It cleared. Aquila let out a gasp, which came out more like a choking sob.
Even as a ghostly spirit, she was beautiful. She stood over Cadence protectively, her hooves not quite touching the ground, wearing the defiant expression Cadence had worn. Her mane and tail were moving in a breeze that only the dead seemed to be able to feel. Cadence, who had covered her eyes to shield them from the light, looked up to see the ghostly young mare, who couldn’t have been much older than her friend, Fleur de Lis, standing above her. She stared, and couldn’t help but feel a little bit frightened.
The young mare must’ve noticed this out of the corner of her eye, for she turned her pretty face towards Cadence, and gave a gentle smile.
‘Don’t be afraid of me, Cadence,’ she said softly, ‘I’m here for you.’
Raven Mocker let out a sound that was comparable to a yelp. The young mare returned her attention to him and glared.
‘What’s the matter,’ she snarled, ‘expected me to be more bloody!’
Raven Mocker’s horrified and scared expression was priceless. Cadence was unable to suppress a giggle. Aquila gave a very loud sob. The ghost turned her head towards the emotional, immortal alicorn.
‘Don’t cry, Mummy,’ she pleaded, ‘you need to take better care of yourself!’
Aquila sobbed harder.
‘My poor, little Starry!’ Aquila exclaimed through her tears.
True Star turned back to Raven Mocker with a thoughtful glance. She made a sudden leap forward. The movement somehow allowed her to send ghostly rocks, which appeared to come out of the ground, and a strong wind at Raven Mocker, sending him and his swarm at least several hooves backwards and doing them some damage. Satisfied that Raven Mocker would now be too scared of her to try anything, True Star placed a small, temporary, dome shield over Cadence, just to make sure, and approached her poor mother.
Everypony was silent and staring. True Star tried to hold her mother’s hoof, but True Star went almost completely through. True Star tried to make herself more solid, but it only made a little difference. Aquila cried more bitterly as she struggled to hug her daughter. Celestia and Dusk looked on sadly.
‘Thank you,’ Aquila managed to mumble, while trying to stroke her foal’s mane, ‘I can just about feel something.’
‘I wish I could,’ True Star replied with a small, sad smile, ‘make sure you look after yourself. I love you, Mummy.’
‘I love you too, True Star,’ Aquila mumbled back with a small smile, wiping tears from her eyes.
True Star was about to return to Cadence when she caught sight of somepony. His eyes were wide and glassy, tears wouldn’t stop running down his battle-worn face.
‘Starburst . . .’ True Star said quietly.
Her hooves shaking slightly, she slowly approached the one stallion she had wanted to be near to for so long. His youthful energy and optimism were long gone. He looked so rough! He clearly needed a decent sleep. He needed her so badly. She was the only one who could do anything for him.
Once she reached him, she didn’t know what to say. She was so aware of how little she could do for him, how helpless she was. They looked at each other, barely aware that everypony else was staring at them. True Star tried to smile. Raven Mocker gnashed his teeth.
‘You could find somepony else, you know,’ True Star said awkwardly, after a few moments.
‘Never!’ Starburst trembled croakily.
He sounded as if it had been years since he had spoken.
‘You could try to get over me,’ True Star mumbled, fiddling with her mane.
‘Some things you can’t get over,’ Starburst stated, ‘and part of me doesn’t want to. I can’t move on, not without you with me.’
‘Is our foal alright?’ True Star whispered so Raven Mocker couldn’t hear her.
Starburst nodded.
‘She barely knows me though,’ he responded, ‘I thought it best with me in this state. I wouldn’t be a very good role model.’
He choked back a sob.
‘Hush, my darling,’ True Star told him comfortingly.
‘I’m lonely without you!’ Starburst exclaimed, ‘I miss you! I let you down!’
True Star put a hoof to his lips.
‘Shh, my love,’ True Star said with a tender affection and concern.
She tried to wipe his tears away, but was unable to. True Star’s touch, however, seemed to comfort him.
‘You’re not to blame.’ True Star told him, ‘I would cry too, if I could.’
‘You’re so beautiful, my love,’ Starburst said, his eyes aglow.
‘You always say that,’ True Star managed to almost giggle.
‘Can you forgive me, Starburst?’ True Star asked anxiously.
‘You don’t need to ask forgiveness, my darling,’ Starburst responded, ‘your courage . . ! May I . .?’
‘You won’t be able to feel much you know,’ True Star warned him nervously.
‘Please . . .’ Starburst begged, ‘I need to feel that love, that closeness again! I need . . !’
‘I need it too,’ True Star replied.
As their soft lips met, Cadence could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Their love seemed to radiate from their delicate touch, and the last of the darkness in the sky disappeared. The sun shone brightly down on the display of true love. Their happy memories together seemed to flood before them, and they both managed to smile. As they parted, a little bit of Starburst’s youthful energy seemed to return to his eyes.
‘I love you, Starburst,’ True Star told him, ‘I always have and always will.’
‘I will love you all my life, True Star,’ Starburst replied, ‘and I will love you all my death too.’
‘I’ll be waiting for you,’ True Star responded, ‘I’ll wait forever if I have to.’
Without any warning, Raven Mocker had leapt at Starburst. His fury and jealousy had evidently got the best of his fear of True Star. Shining Armor raced over. True Star screamed. She knew very well she could only use her ghostly abilities for Cadence’s benefit. Everypony else raced over too.
The battle had started again. Cadence gave a terrified yell. Too much time had passed. The shield True Star had produced for her had disappeared and Raven Mocker had been the first to notice. He had bitten down hard into her back, right, lower leg, leaving an oval, lilac mark. True Star rushed to the rescue, and kicked Raven Mocker so far that he almost fell off the edge of the mountain side Canterlot was built on.
‘Are you alright?’ True Star asked.
Cadence looked a little concerned, but nodded. Three immortal alicorns very quickly proved too much for Raven Mocker and his swarm, and they began to retreat at a rapid speed. Before he fled with his swarm, Raven Mocker turned to True Star.
‘Now, you’d better listen, and listen well, my angel,’ Raven Mocker snarled, ‘I’ll do whatever it takes to have your precious Cadence for my own, and I’ll make sure I destroy you if it’s the last thing I do!’
Go ahead and try!’ True Star retorted.
Raven Mocker gave a small, knowing smile, before racing off. Cadence turned to True Star.
‘I don’t understand,’ Cadence informed her, ‘what exactly are you doing here?’
‘Well, I promised your mother, didn’t I?’ True Star replied, ‘I promised her I’d look after you and take her place as your guardian angel.’
