//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Monday is for Making Plans // Story: Sunset Reset // by LordBrony2040 //------------------------------// For the first time in awhile, Cadance found herself alone in the bathtub as she partook in her morning soak. With Sunset having left for Manehattan hours before dawn with Sassy in tow, the pink princess had plenty of time to let her thoughts simmer. Thoughts on things like her feelings for Sunset, Sunset's feelings for Shiny, Shiny's feelings for her, and...the various other emotional connections the three of them held towards each other. On top of which, there was the oddity of Sunset’s added height, the fact that Shining Armor had spoken with Celestia, and the fact that Cadance had kept that fact from Sunset. All of which made the pink princess uneasy. Relationship drama, Cadance could deal with. Complicated magic and secrets, that she needed help with. And...there was only one pony in the castle she could really talk to such things about. So, Cadance pulled herself out of the water and got ready for breakfast. An hour later, once her coat was properly combed and her mane gathered in its usual ponytail, Cadance found herself sitting across from Celestia. Although the signs were minor, the pink princess could tell there was something bothering her adoptive aunt. “Something wrong, Princess Celestia?” The bigger alicorn looked up from her food and gave Cadance an empty smile. “Oh, I was thinking. It’s been some time since the two of us dined alone together, hasn’t it?” Cadance saw the attempt to create a frivolous topic for what it was, and quickly jumped into something she needed to speak to Celestia about. They didn't have time to beat around the bush, and recent events had left Cadance with little want to spare Celestia any migraines. “So, I heard you talked with Shining Armor the other day.” “Yes,” Celestia replied before she became unusually calm for a pony who was about to speak about a sensitive topic. “He told me something interesting. Apparently, he and Sunset were a thing before the two of you went on your little date.” The unspoken accusation got a wince from Cadance. That wasn't what she had been wanting to talk about. “Well, it’s...complicated.” “Then simplify it for me,” Celestia replied in a firm tone. It didn’t take long for Cadance to see the conversation they were fixing to get into would put her in a very bad position unless she took command of the situation with the opening Celestia provided. Hmm, if this is the way she used to talk to Sunset, I can see why Shimmer is so confrontational. She had to be in order to have some control over her life. “Basically, Sunset met Shiny first,” Cadance began. “She asked me to step in and help her try and land the guy. Honestly, that’s what I had intended to do. Originally, I had planned to give Shining Armor a big moment to try and wow Sunset because, well...let’s face it, he’s nowhere near the kind of pony I thought Sunset would like. Of course, that was before I really got to know the new Sunset, so I might have made a few mistakes in my prognostications. But, I spent some time with him too, and...might have noticed some desirable traits. Then, when I accompanied him to the replay, and since somepony kept Sunset from interfering with Shiny's fight against Buck, hormones and danger, and the fact that everything I knew about romance told me that I needed to kiss Shining Armor right then and there, I went with what my cutie mark was telling me. Which wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t of dragged Sunset off to go play politics!” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “That’s what princesses do,” she said. “And speaking of changes, Sunset’s not the only pony that’s undergone a sudden attitude adjustment as of late.” The lack of retreat on Celestia's part got a frown from Cadance. “I prefer to use the term improvement.” A silence followed Cadance’s words, and the pink princess took a bite of her fruit salad while Celestia sipped at her tea. When the conversation didn’t start back up right away, the pink princess moved onto another pressing topic since it seemed any mention of Shining Armor would just lead to more of the same. “Auntie, why are you so big?” “Hm?” Celestia replied before setting down her tea. “What brought that on?” Cadance shrugged. “Just curious,” she half-lied. “After all, Sunset used to be shorter than me, and you...well, you’re you. Hay, even I’ve grown a bit since I became an alicorn. But, is there some kind of limit?” “I’m as tall as I am because my mother was a-” Celestia said before pausing abruptly. Her mask slipped off, and Cadance blinked as the big alicorn’s face became one of remorse. “Hmm, I’ve already told you about my sister, so...no reason not to relate this as well, I suppose. Sunset will probably have questions herself in time.” The big alicorn let out a long sigh and steadied herself as she looked back up at Cadance. “Like my immortality, my size is due to my link to the sun. I’m not entirely sure of the specifics, but when a pony links with an outside power source, our bodies adapt to the change in power. Because alicorns are more in-tune than other ponies, we change the most evenly across the whole physical spectrum. For me and my sister, that meant our manes became infused with magic to the point they would glow on their own and our physical statures increased to better contain the power that was flowing through us,” she said before becoming hesitant. “There’s a...psychological aspect to it as well, but I’m afraid that’s the part of the explanation I couldn’t really follow. All I can say is that despite having a fount of power equal to mine, Luna was barely taller than a regular alicorn. As for Sunset...she’ll probably be around my height.” Although she could tell it was a touchy subject with Celestia, Cadance continued on. Even if she didn’t get an explanation of what had happened to Sunset, with the amber alicorn to be the pony that moved the heavens one day, Cadance needed to know what she would face. “Did it happen all at once?” Celestia shook her head. “No, it occurred in spurts, especially in the mornings,” she explained as the unhappiness on her face grew. “I would finish raising the sun to find my nightgown was hugging my flank a bit more than when I had gone to bed, or that I had to look down a little more to meet the eyes of...of another pony I…” Putting everything together, Cadance finished Celestia’s sentence. “Slept with the night before.” “Yes,” she admitted in a whisper. It didn’t take much of a leap of logic for Cadance to see that there was a ton of weight attached to the memory of Celestia’s long lost lover, or that it had ended badly for the Princess. Two weeks ago, Cadance might have backed away out of not wanting to bring up any bad memories for the bigger alicorn. But as of a few days ago, her level of sympathy for such things had gone down. “What about your mane?” “Originally, it only lit up when I was raising the sun,” Celestia replied after getting herself back under control. “Eventually, my body adapted to the sun’s energies enough that it just stayed that way.” Cadance thought back to what she had seen the day before and continued eating. But, Sunset’s power source is internal, she thought to herself. So, did that change anything? Wish I knew more about magic. “Now, would you mind if I ask you a difficult question?” Celestia asked. When Cadance gave her a nod between bites, the white pony went on with the same level of enthusiasm that she had when talking about the pony she slept with. It took her several seconds to ask her question. “Does Sunset hate me?” Causing the food that was halfway down Cadance’s to become lodged in her windpipe and give her a bit of a coughing fit. Then, after spitting out the mangled piece of mango, she gave Celestia a disbelieving look. “What in the bucking pit of Tartarus makes you think something as STUPID as that?!” The question made Celestia pull her head back. “But-I um...she-all she ever seems to do anymore is yell at me,” the surprised princess replied. “Of course she-that-you! Grrr...” Cadance paused and took a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm herself down. “Okay, that...well…” She took another breath. “Of course she loves you.” YOU IDIOT! “What…” And after a third long breath in which the pink princess exhaled shortly thereafter, she was finally able to speak in a rational manner. “How in the hay could you even ask me something like that about your own foal?” By the time Cadance was done calming down, she found that Celestia had already resumed her unflappable demeanor and got her reply in the white pony’s calm voice. “Cadance, you weren’t around before Sunset’s...change in demeanor. I’m not referring to the one she underwent after becoming an alicorn, this was...before that. So I don’t expect you to understand completely. But she and I used to be a lot closer,” Celestia said before a wistful smile appeared on her face. “She would hang on my every word and-” “Was a borderline sycophant?” Cadance deadpanned, making Celestia stop talking and give her a surprised look as the annoyed pink princess continued. “We bathe and sleep together Celestia, do you honestly think the subject of Sunset’s past hasn’t come up more than once when we’re scrubbing each other’s backs? Sunset has told me plenty about the way things were before I came along.” An uncomfortable look crossed Celestia’s face. “Well...I suppose you have a point there.” Cadance snorted out some of her rising anger over the topic as she tried to think of the most diplomatic way of continuing on. “And...you might have a valid concern when it comes to how Sunset feels about you,” Cadance admitted before letting Celestia’s heart seize up for a good six seconds thanks to the sour mood she was in by letting the silence drag on. “But not in the way you’re afraid of.” “What do you mean?” Celestia asked. Deciding to throw the white pony a bone, Cadance started her explanation out on a high note. “Sunset yells and overreacts to everything because she loves you,” the pink princess explained. “And...because she hates you.” Cadance took a second to think when she heard her explanation and groaned in an irritated way. “Well, not you, not really,” she said while her own anger began to boil over. “Sunset hates that stupid bitch that kicked her out of the palace and ignored her for three years, even after she made a change for the better and saved a whole world from becoming a bunch of mind controlled zombies!” The table shook as Cadance’s hooves struck the thick wood as she said the last word. She looked down at the furniture for a moment, the sat back down on her seat and broke eye contact with Celestia to let out an irritated sigh. “Sorry. It’s just thinking about what Sunset went through tends to get under my coat.” “That’s more than understandable,” Celestia replied in a tone that told Cadance they had a shared sentiment on the subject. “But...that wasn’t me, Cadance.” Cadance sighed and shook her head. “You know that, I know that, and on a very conscious level, so does Sunset,” she replied as the last of her anger finally bled out of her to leave Cadance feeling tired despite the morning hours. “But, on a much deeper level that has nothing to do with logic or conscious thought, she also knows that under the right set of circumstances, you are more than capable of throwing her away like a piece of garbage. It doesn’t matter that those circumstances are impossible now. To her, you’ve already done it.” For a second, Celestia looked like she was going to argue the point, but she sat back on her cushion and looked down at her food. “I just want things the way they used to be between us.” “Well, that’s never going to happen,” Cadance told her, which made Celestia sink even lower before the pink princess threw her another bone. “And I think the two of you are better for it.” Celestia raised her head and gave Cadance a confused frown. “What?” After taking a bite of her food, more to buy time to think rather than eat, Cadance made her case to Celestia. “Princess, remember what you told Sunset the day she woke up?” she asked rhetorically. “You said you got in a routine, you got used to things happening a certain way, and I don’t think it was just when it came to how you did things. I think you got used to ponies acting towards you a certain way as well. And maybe over time you...came to enjoy ponies kissing your plot and you started lying to yourself, thinking they did it out of love rather than...well, some worshipful need to please you.” After Cadance finished with the last part, Celestia frowned at her. “Cadance! I may have been like that in the past, but I hate ponies that kiss up to me! I would have thought that the speech I gave your friends the day before was proof of that.” In the past? Cadance asked herself before she readjusted herself to keep on topic. “Oh, I get that you're lonely,” she replied. “But that’s all yesterday showed me. And every other day, I've seen you trot around with a smile on your face as everypony around you bows so low I swear they're trying to sink into the floor.” “That’s called showing respect,” Celestia told her evenly. “There’s a difference between respect and what you’re getting,” Cadance countered. “I think I've been around long enough to tell the difference, Cadance,” Celestia replied. The comment killed Cadance’s growing irritation and made her withdraw from her aggressive posturing with a sigh. “And I think you’ve been surrounded by it for so long that you can’t tell the difference anymore.” Before Celestia could give her counter argument, Cadance continued on. “Princess, when was the last time a pony who wasn’t Sunset yelled at you, or disagreed with you, even?” The white pony hesitated. “That’s a trick question, it isn’t as if I can allow somepony to question my orders in public. Especially the way Sunset does.” “And how many ponies tell you that you’re wrong in private?” Cadance asked. “How many laugh at your stupid mistakes, or say when a dress you’re wearing clashes with your mane? Buck, how many at the very least are comfortable enough around you to say when you need to wipe your bucking nose?” “Well...I'd say there's...maybe...one?” Celestia replied after an uncomfortable silence in which she looked away from Cadance. “Yes, her. An old mare that teaches some classes at my school. And to be honest, I don’t really think she was all there to begin with.” With most of her annoyance at Celestia’s denial spent, Cadance went back to eating while the white pony just stared down at her food and tea. The rest of breakfast was a quiet affair as Cadance rushed to finish her meal in time to meet with her friends. It was only when she finished her last bite that Celestia spoke up again. “Cadance,” she said hesitantly. “About that...other Celestia. The one Sunset spoke of. When she...expelled Sunset. Do you think she could have done it for Sunset's own good? To...help her make friends, I mean. She would of had to rely on other ponies to survive, and that would have been good for her, right? You said so yourself, the day...Sunset...came home.” And the remaining annoyance in Cadance’s mind turned into a cold anger. She knew Celestia had never actually done that, but...after their previous conversation, it didn’t really seem to matter. “Why’re you asking me something like that?” “Sunset,” Celestia said. “You’ve seen what she’s like. I need to find a way to help her with this.” For a moment, Cadance moved to assure Celestia that with time the wounds would heal and bring them that much closer. Only, something stopped her. It happened in an instant, an epiphany of sorts. And she realized the real reason Celestia was asking her such a question. “No...that’s not what this is about at all, is it?” Celestia blinked in confusion. “Excuse me?” “You say you want to trot in and help her, but...that’s not how you operate,” Cadance went on. “You let ponies solve their own problems, like when Sunset and I were fighting, or when we dealt with Cinch. And I’ll admit, doing things that way may be harder, but makes ponies stronger, more independent. The way you usually do things, you would let Sunset work through this on her own with the occasional 'I love you’ for emotional support, even if it hurt you, because you love her enough to endure her anger while she works everything out.” She frowned at the other pony. “This is about you.” After taking a deep breath, Celestia met Cadance’s hard stare with one of her own. “Be careful, Cadance. Let’s not say anything we'll regret later.” Cadance didn’t stop. “I’m the Princess of Love, Celestia. An expert on every different kind of affection a pony can have,” she said. “Including the narcissistic kind in which a pony believes that she can do no wrong, like you. And with Sunset just trotting up and saying you abandoned her in some weird alternate timeline-thingy, you’re trying to find some kind of excuse to justify your actions. But, there’s something I don’t get-” “That’s enough,” the white pony told her in a stern tone. “You told me that what Sunset experienced was just some bizarre delusion,” Cadance continued, despite Celestia’s command. “Because a pony like you could never accept the possibility that you could actually do what Sunset said happened. That you could abandon your foal.” Celestia snorted. “I told you, if Sunset thought it was all just a dream-” “No!” Cadance said as she banged a hoof on the table, cutting Celestia off. “That’s what you tell yourself now, but back then...no. You’re so full of yourself, you couldn’t even begin to consider the possibility that you could do something so horrible to a pony you love after Sunset’s transformation put the very possibility of losing her into your mind.” Celestia broke eye contact with the pink princess and turned her head to hide her face behind her mane. “Cadance, you don’t want to do this,” she grumbled. “But what changed?” Cadance asked herself more than Celestia. “I know the way you are, Auntie. You wouldn’t of even begun to consider this, unless...you found something, didn’t you? Something that proves what Sunset said happened actually happened. That under the right circumstances that aren't very different from where we are right now, you could actually..." She blinked as the other alicorn took in a sharp breath. "Oh Celestia...this must be eating you up inside.” The other alicorn withdrew into herself further. “Cadance,” Celestia said in a whisper. Another dot connected to the rest, making an even clearer picture. “And Sunset,” Cadance continued. “They way she contradicts you...I didn’t notice it before but...they way you bow to her demands and adjust your plans like with the griffons...the fact you take stock in her words. You’ve given her the right to judge you, and you’re terrified of what verdict she’s going to announce!” It was the same with the Nightmare Moon conundrum Celestia had already had her solution for. It was obvious to Cadance that Celestia shouldered some of the blame for whatever happened to her little sister onto herself and that Nightmare Moon’s legendary hatred of Celestia might have actually been justified in the white pony’s self-loathing eyes. That was the real reason she wasn't willing to make any real plans for fighting and living through her victory. With the picture of what was going on completed in her head, Cadance pulled herself back into the moment and blinked at what she saw. Celestia, the pony that seen so in control of herself, looked on the edge of a nervous breakdown. “Oh...buck.” “I can’t...I can’t...go through that again,” Celestia said down at the table in front of her with fear clearly showing in her one visible eye with her glistening mane hid the other one. This is not what I had in mind when I got out of bed this morning, Cadance told herself before she spoke up to get Celestia’s attention. “Auntie? Celestia? Hey! LISTEN TO ME!” she shouted before striking her hoof on the table again. When the big pony looked up at her, Cadance took in a deep breath and firmed her tone to sound as sure of herself as an equine could. “Your daughter loves you. Right now, you’re having some problems, yeah. Sunset is still trying to reconcile this perfect image she has of you with the reality on top of everything else, and you...you’re still trying to figure out just what having a pony you love like a daughter actually means,” she said before giving Celestia a sympathetic look. “But if you would just talk to her about your fears, confront them together, the love the two of you share for each other will see you through and be all the stronger for it.” Instead of hearing an agreeing remark from Celestia, Cadance was greeted with silence. The clock on the wall counted of the seconds with its ticking. It got to thirty before Celestia finally looked back up at her. “Cadance.” “Yes, Auntie?” Celestia stood up, and turned to leave. “You need to get going or you’ll be late for school.” Shock managed to let Celestia get three steps before Cadance managed to speak. “Hey. HEY!” she shouted at the departing pony. “Don’t you just push this to the side! Sunset’s hurting too you know!” When that didn’t get a reply, Cadance let out a frustrated whinny before managing to get out a few last words in anger. “ARRRRGH! YOU REALLY ARE SUNSET’S MOM!” she shouted at the departing pony. But not as encouragement. Even with the coffee in her system helping to offset the horrendously early departure time, Sassy Saddles still felt half-dead on her hooves as the train she was on made its final approach towards Manehattan. Sleeping on the ride over hadn’t been an option, as she needed to use the time to see what Princess Sunset wanted for her Fall Formal dress and draw up some basic sketches while the princess worked on some program she had planned for a young mare named Spangled. And there were still so many other things to cover! “So, Prin-” “Ahem!” the amber alicorn said before Sassy could finish her question as she frowned at the pony sitting across from her. The blue unicorn took a second to push down her proprietary instincts. “I mean, Sunny.” Princess Sunset’s glare turned into a friendly smile a second later. “Yes, Sassy?” “Do you know what type of material you want me to use?” Sassy asked. It was more of a courtesy than anything else. Being a princess, nothing less than the finest silk would do when it came to Princess Sunset’s wardrobe. The princess thought about it for a second, and then shrugged. “Eh, whatever you think is best.” Sassy felt another weight settle on her back at the announcement, but kept it from showing in her body language. She had almost become used to the non-decisions Princess Sunset was making in regards to her gown, as all the amber alicorn had done was tell Sassy she wanted the dominant color to be a nice light green. So with everything else left up to the seamstress, Sassy couldn’t help but be nervous. After all, if Princess Sunset didn’t like the dress, a single word from her could bring Sassy’s hopes for a future in Canterlot’s fashion industry crashing down before she even began. What was worse was that everypony else would be taking note of the dress as well. So even if Princess Sunset liked it, Sassy could still be chased out because- “You're doing it again.” Sassy was pulled out of her waking nightmare that was filled with every fashion critic in Equestria standing before her with torches and pitchforks as she was tied to a stake that had all of her designs placed at her feet to be used as kindling to look at the bigger pony across from her. “D-Doing what, Your ahem-Sunny?” Princess Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Do you honestly think that I don’t see you tensing up and getting all nervous?” she asked before sighing and looking at Sassy with a worried expression. “What’s wrong, Sassy?” “I…” she said before hesitating. Although Sassy didn’t want to burden the princess with her problems, Sunset was not a pony that could be told no. “I’m just worried, Sunny. I know, you and Cadance don’t like reminders, but the two of you are princesses. Everypony's eyes are going to be on you come Friday night. And...well...what if they see what I make and…don’t like it?” Princess Sunset studied Sassy for a moment, then leaned back in her chair. “A few years ago, I was attending a dinner with Mom,” she began. “It was the usual thing with a table long enough to sit two hundred ponies in the center of the room, and a dozen or so smaller round tables were littered throughout the rest of the dining hall. Towards the end of the meal, I picked up this weird smell and found it was coming from Celestia. Right after I did, the other pony sitting next to her said how wonderful Mom’s new perfume was, along with about a dozen other ponies. Which was weird because the smell was making me gag. Then, this one noble mare trotted up and asked Mom if she could have the name of the manufacture because she wanted some for herself. “Mom rolled her eyes and told her that it was homemade, but said that the mare could have some if she wanted it. When the mare agreed, Princess Celestia got up, raised her tail, and farted in the mare's face. It was at that point that all the nobles in the room complimented Mom on the new musical sound she invented,” Sunset finished with a completely straight face. Sassy sat motionless, unsure as to how she should respond to Princess Sunset’s story. On one hoof, she was pretty sure what the amber alicorn told her never actually happened. But after meeting Princess Celestia and having two meals with her the day before…the unicorn wouldn’t put such an action beyond the immortal ruler. She had worked rather hard to dissuade such notions from Sassy and her friends. “Um...well…. I'm sure….” she sighed and slumped down. “Princess Sunset, please tell me that never really happened.” After letting her stew for a few seconds, Sunset snorted and rolled her eyes. “Okay, you got me there. But it sounds better than when Celestia tried her hoof at painting and ended up really sucking at it but still had ponies clamoring for her blotchy drawings,” she said. “Point is, as much as it's probably going to hurt you for me to say this, it’s not going to matter what the dresses you make for me and Cadance look like. Hell, you could put us in burlap sacks, and ponies would still call it genius.” “Then why are you telling me this?” Sassy asked. Princess Sunset snorted. “Because watching you worry yourself to death over if everypony is going to like something you put on a princess is even worse,” she explained as the train began to slow down and the sound of screeching metal reached Sassy’s ears. “Now come on and let's get going.” As odd as it was hearing that the quality of her work was moot, Sassy did find some of the pressure she was feeling let up. On top of which, it became harder and harder for Sassy to concentrate on the future as Sunset dragged her from shop to shop, sometimes literally, to look at some of the latest fashions and offer a few suggestions when it came to her own dress. Nothing too difficult or overblown, which Sassy was thankful for, but it did eat up the time. From time to time, Sassy also caught Sunset speaking to another seamstress with the outline of an odd bipedal creature displayed in her magic. She didn’t question it out loud, but had to wonder what the amber alicorn was having so many ponies make for her piecemeal. Then, things got even stranger when they reached the sixth store, one Sassy had them go to pick which fabric Princess Sunset wanted for her dress. It wasn’t the fact that Sunset ended up choosing the third most expensive material that stood out. The oddity happened when they were on their way out of the warehouse with the fabric for both Princess Cadance’s order and the amber alicorn’s. When they stopped at the security checkpoint by the door to prove they had bought what they were carrying Sunset looked into the little office the guards had with a frown on her face. “Who’s the filly?” “Oh, just some brat we found wandering around the store, Your Highness,” the light brown pegasus stallion replied in a gruff tone. “We catch them from time to time, trying to sneak in and steal this or that. There’s no need to concern yourself with such things, Princess.” The look on Sunset’s face became one that had Sassy taking a step away from the fiery pony as the amber alicorn let out a snort. “I’ll be the one to decide what I need to be concerned about,” she said before pushing the stallion to the side and marching into the security office. Sassy followed the Princess in and got her first good look at the pony in question. It was a little unicorn filly with a pearly white coat and a stylized purple mane that had a bit of a curl at the end. Although Sassy wasn't very good when it came to guessing a pony’s age, she had to say that the filly looked to be on the edge of her teen years. As close as she was, wet spots where tears had been running down the poor filly’s face were apparent. As for Sunset, the amber alicorn underwent a transformation the second she went through the door. The frown disappeared and tension went out of her body as she carefully walked over to the little filly that was looking down at the ground, completely unaware of Sunset’s presence right until the princess knelt down so her face was right in the filly’s field of view. “Hello there little one, what’s your name?” The filly’s eyes went wide, and she let out a squeak before scooting back in her chair as much as she could. Sunset’s eyes also widened a bit, but then she reached forward with a wing to touch the white filly’s shoulder. When she did, the princess let out a tiny breath, and the both of them stopped moving a second. Then, Sunset smiled at the filly. “It’s okay little one. And you're right, I should have better manners and introduce myself first,” the amber alicorn went on in a soft tone. “I’m Princess Sunset Shimmer, and this is my friend, Sassy Saddles.” “Hello,” Sassy added as the little unicorn began to take deeper breaths. She didn’t know if that was a good sign, or a bad one. “And you are?” Sunset asked softly. The little filly took a few seconds, but she managed a response. “R-Rarity.” Sassy blinked as Sunset shot the filly a bright smile she had never seen the princess use before and backed off to the side to better watch the exchange as the amber alicorn addressed the filly. “Rarity. That’s a pretty name! How old are you Rarity?” “Eleven,” the filly replied, the nervousness in her voice still evident despite Sunset’s friendly demeanor. “Seems a little young for you to be here by yourself,” Sunset went on. “Where are your parents?” Sassy watched at the question completely annihilated the filly’s calm, starting with a trembling lip that became an outright bawling seconds later as Rarity fought to answer Sunset’s question. “I-I’m sorry Princess! Papa said not to leave t-the cart, but we were only here to pick up a wagon load of cotton fabric, and I just wanted to see southern-spun silk so badly. I-I didn’t mean t-to wander off! A-And now Papa’s gone a-and...I’M GOING TO JAAAAAAAAAIL!” Right as the little filly lost control and began to bawl like a baby, Sunset took Rarity in her forehooves and lifted the filly into a hug to as she sat down on the floor. “It’s okay Rarity. You're not in trouble,” Sunset told her as she cradled the filly’s head under her chin. Then, Sunset’s expression darkened Sassy felt a chill run down her spine as she watched the amber alicorn glare at something neither of them could see. “But I would like to have a few words with your father.” After a few minutes of comforting the filly, Sunset put Rarity down. “Now, are you hungry, Rarity?” When the filly nodded in response, Sunset stood up to her full height. “Okay then. Let’s get you something to snack on, then we’ll find your father.” Seeing a problem with the princess’s plan, Sassy spoke up. “Pardon me, Princess,” she said. “But, wouldn’t it make more sense to wait for her father to return? Perhaps have some guards search for him?” “Nah,” Sunset replied as she waved Sassy off with a wing. “I can just extrapolate the father’s genetic markers from Rarity’s DNA and use them as a focus in a tracking spell. As long as her uncle or somepony else closely related doesn’t cross our path, we should be fine.” Although Sassy didn’t understand a word of Sunset’s solution to their problem, the alicorn's confidence kept her from arguing the course of action and they were outside the store after Princess Sunset glared at the guard hard enough to have him sweat a small lake. After they got to the street, Sunset bought Rarity a carrot dog, followed by an ice cream cone to get her past what had happened. “Okay now, hold still Rarity,” Sunset told the little unicorn as she lit up her horn. A single strand of Rarity’s mane rose up as Sunset created a pair of glowing blue scissors from her magic to snip it. When Rarity gave Sunset a worried glance, the amber alicorn smiled back with a slightly guilty expression. “Sorry, but I need one of these to find your dad.” As Sunset began casting magic so complicated Sassy felt dizzy just from seeing her start to cast it, Sassy pulled Rarity away from the sight to keep her from interrupting the princess. “So Rarity, why did you want to come to work with your father?” “I wanted to see all the fabrics,” Rarity replied before she looked down at the street with a frown. “We don’t have any high-class materials in Ponyville.” Sassy grabbed onto the obvious topic. “Ponyville? Is that where you're from?” she asked. When the little nodded, Sassy reached for the next one. “Well, I can’t say that I've never been there myself, but I've seen it many times from the edge of Canterlot. It looks like a lovely place to live.” All of a sudden, Rarity's eyes lit up as she stared at Sassy with adoration. “Your from Canterlot too?” she asked before going without a pause. “Oh, but you're with the Princess! You must be. Are you her hoofmaiden?” Sassy giggled and waved off the question. “Oh no. Princess Sunset and I are just friends that go to the same school,” she explained. “We just came to Manehattan to buy some materials so I could make the Princess a dress for our school's formal dance.” The explanation made Rarity even more enthralled. “You’re a seamstress too?” “Well,” Sassy replied, a little embarrassed by the filly’s sudden exuberance. “I dabble, and sewing is my special talent. But I need to graduate before I pursue a career.” The fact that Rarity only heard half of what was said became apparent when she let out a dreamy sigh. “The princess’s personal dressmaker.” “Okay, done!” Sassy turned her attention away from the filly and looked up to see Sunset holding a paper airplane in her magic. “Ummm, Princess...what are you doing with that?” “It’s simple really,” she replied before pointing a hoof at the airplane. “Since just following a tracking spell on the ground would take too long, and me flying through the city would cause untold destruction-” Say what? Sassy thought. “-I put a teleportation marker on the paper and threaded the hair through it,” she explained. “So it will carry the paper to Rarity’s dad and ping my horn. Then we can just pop over to him.” Sassy slowly nodded in understanding as she tried to work out just how many spells Sunset had used in her plan and just ended up with a small headache. “And what will we be doing in the meantime?” In response, Sunset looked over to Rarity. “So, you like dresses?” When the little unicorn slowly nodded, Sunset smiled. “Okay then, let’s go look at some. Maybe you can give me a few ideas for when Sassy makes mine.” Over half an hour later, when the trio was just finishing a round of window shopping that did make Sassy rethink her designs just a bit, Sunset’s horn lit up on its own, drawing the amber alicorn's attention. “Hmm, looks like my spell found your dad,” she said before looking over to Rarity. “Time to go Rares.” The little unicorn let out a disappointed whine and hung her head “Oh…well…” Rarity mumbled before she looked up at the princess and went into a bow. “Thank you for everything you’ve done today, Your Majesty.” Sunset smirked at Rarity. “You and your manners,” she mumbled before picking the filly up with her horn and pulling her into a hug. “Goodbye Rarity. I’m glad I ran into you today. Now, Sassy get over here, I'll need to take you with us.” After taking a second to collect her things, Sassy trotted over so that Sunset could lay a wing across her back. Then, Sunset’s horn lit up again and the world disappeared in a bright blue flash. Sassy stumbled forward when the ground beneath her changed, and her eyes cleared to reveal that Princess Sunset had put her down on a dirt road somewhere in the country, although she could still make out the highest buildings of Manehattan in the distance. The second thing Sassy noticed was the stunned white stallion hitched to a cart full of fabric in front of them. “Hey there,” Sunset said before she lifted Rarity up in one hoof. “Did you forget something?” The stallion’s eyes widened. “Rarity? What-” Sunset’s horn lit up and the stallion’s mouth clamped shut a moment later, before he could finish talking. “Now,” the amber alicorn said in a voice that sounded a little too sweet to be Sunset’s. “I realize that we ponies are creatures of habit, and that when something happens outside of our normal routine, we can be a little bit forgetful. That’s why I'm not going to throw you in prison for abandoning your filly in the middle of a city and not even realizing it before you got out of said city’s limits.” Both father and daughter's eyes went wide at Sunset's words as the amber alicorn paused for a moment to let what she said sink in. “That said. If I ever find out that this happens again, I won’t be nearly as amicable. In fact, I'll be very, very, angry,” she explained before the much to happy smile was replaced by an expression Sassy was used to seeing on Sunset’s face. “And you won’t like me when I’m angry. Understand?” The stallion gulped. “Y-Yes Princess! I’m sorry Princess. I understand!” With the stallion that looked like he would have been cowering if not for the wagon holding him up agreeing with her, Sunset’s face brightened and she set the little unicorn down. “Sorry for frightening your dad, Rarity,” the amber alicorn said. “But I wanted to make sure I got my point across.” Once she was released, Rarity scampered back to her father, and Sassy stood by silently as the Princess and the stallion named Magnum had a brief conversation. Apparently, Rarity’s father worked for a shipping company that delivered materials to the more out of the way places in Equestria that weren’t connected to the rail system. He usually bought a doll from wherever he went and took it home for Rarity to play with. Which in turn got her interested in their clothing, so much so she tried making some herself. After hearing that story, Sunset let out a little giggle and looked over to Rarity. “Well, for helping me with my gown designs today, how about I have some silks shipped down to Ponyville for you, Rarity?” “Really?” the filly asked with a hopeful expression. Sunset smiled back at her. “Well, we can’t have your dolls dressed in rags,” she said. “And it’ll be good practice for when you're making the full-sized ones for ponies.” The filly’s squeal of a thank you lasted a good thirty seconds as she rushed forward to kiss Sunset’s hooves several times. Something that had Sunset looking a little uncomfortable, and made her rush out a goodbye before she sent the father and daughter on their way. Once they were on their own, Sassy looked over to the amber alicorn. “Forgive me for saying so Princess Sunset. But, I’m surprised.” “About what?” she asked. Sassy gave her a little smile. “You’re very good with foals.” “Why is that such a surprise to everypony?” The response got a giggle from Sassy. “Now, how about sending us back to Manehattan so we can get home before dark?” Sunset stared at Sassy for a second before her expression became hesitant. “Um...about that…” Thanks to her mood, Cadance had thought it best not to walk Shining Armor to school. So, she went through her morning classes with only a few glances of her friends when they were in the hallway. Then, when lunch came, Cadance was torn between just taking it up on the roof of the school like she did before, or seeing Shiny without Sunset around. She knew from personal experience usually ended with the pink princess’s tongue inside the white stallion’s mouth. But since her absence would probably end up raising a few eyebrows, and Cadance didn’t think anything would happen in front of the whole school, she decided to suck it up and go away. If Shiny got uncomfortable, then she could always make up some excuse to leave. Which made Cadance take her triple-portion lunch over to the gang’s usual spot and wait for the others to come trotting over. Fleur and Crust were the first to take their seats, with Upper Crust looking around a moment later in confusion. “Is Princess Sunset not here today?” Before Cadance could answer, Cheerilee trotted up and set down her tray on the other side of Fleur, where Sassy normally was. “She and Sassy went to Manehattan to buy some fabric for the dresses.” The look on Upper Crust’s face looked like she had bitten a bad apple. “Dresses? What dresses?” she asked before looking over to Fleur. “What’s she talking about?” The second most gorgeous pony at the table gave her friend an uneasy look. “Well, yesterday, Sunset came by and invited Sassy, Cheerilee and myself to the palace for lunch.” “What?” Upper Crust replied in a desperate tone as she looked at Fleur as if she just found out the taller pony had put a knife in her flank. “Why wasn’t I invited? I'm more important than any of you!” Cadance rolled her eyes. Pretty sure you just answered your own question there. Although she didn’t share Sunset's disdain for the young mare, Upper Crust made it extremely hard to focus on her better qualities. Instead of getting her question answered, Upper Crust found herself pushed aside as Cheerilee's mare friend and Shiny’s group finally showed up and took their seats, with Sunset’s usual spot remaining empty. Then they had to relate the reason for the amber alicorn's absence again, and by then Cadance was ready to move onto a new topic. “So, anything interesting happening this week?” “You mean, other than the big school dance this Friday that those dresses you were talking about are obviously for?” Gaffer deadpanned. Fleur looked around at the group. “Speaking of the dance, are any of you also going?” The question had Upper Crust putting her nose into the air. “Jet Set is coming down from Manehattan. We’ve even had Pra Da to make me a new gown!” “Oh, that sounds amazing,” Cheerilee said. “Do you have a picture, Crust? I’d love to see it.” Upper Crust looked over to the earth pony. “You’ll have to wait till the formal. Oh, wait, are you even going?” “Well, I don’t really have anything to wear,” Cheerilee said hesitantly. A tiny smirk appeared on the yellow unicorn’s face. “Well, it’s probably for the best then. You wouldn’t want to just show up in a pair of stockings and some short skirt.” Cadance had to stop herself from frowning at the chubby mare, and looked over to the mulberry mare. “If you want to go and need something to wear Cheerilee, I can have the royal tailor make you a dress,” she said before looking over to the other earth pony mare of the group. “And you too, if you want to to go, that is.” “The...the royal tailor?” Crust asked in a disbelieving near-whisper. In response to the question, Cadance gave the yellow unicorn a friendly nod of her head. “That’s right. He’s name is Satin Stitches. He’s the pony that makes Princess Celestia’s dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala.” Although both Cheerilee and her pink-maned friend blush at the attention. “Princess, we couldn’t-” Cadance held up a hoof to dissuade the attempt to turn her down. “Nonsense. He’d love the chance to work on another pony,” she said before giving them a cautious look. “That is, if you actually do want to go. I wouldn’t want to force anypony into something they don’t want to do.” “Well, we don’t really have dates-” As Poindexter’s ears perked up at Cheerilee's admission, Gaffer snorted and rolled his eyes. “Cheery, you’re friends with a pair of princesses. Anypony in this or Celestia’s school would put out on command just for the chance to be introduced to one of them.” The mention of such a way to attract a date had Cadance’s feathers ruffling on their own accord. She frowned at Gaffer. “You better not have done something like that.” Gaffer raised his hooves in defense and chuckled nervously. “I’m not going, I was just saying, you know, it would be pretty easy for any of us to get a date if we wanted to.” “Even though the pony you were going with was more there to suck up to me and Sunset rather than be with you?”Cadance deadpanned. After taking a drink, Eight-Bit chimed in. “Unless, you know, one of us went out with another of us from the group.” Cheerilee became a little hesitant. “I don’t know, wouldn’t that be a little awkward?” Seeing the male earth pony of their group droop his head, Cadance gave a little shrug. “Well, you could always go as friends, I suppose.” “Yes,” Fleur agreed. “The only couple in this group is Shining Armor and...um…” The tall mare’s expression turned into a concerned frown “Shining Armor, are you alright?” Cadance looked over to the young stallion sitting next to her and blinked in surprise. Judging from the look on his face, Shiny had swallowed something that really disagreed with him. “Shiny? Is everything okay?” The white unicorn gulped heavily despite the fact that Cadance was certain that he didn’t have anything in his mouth. “The...dance?” “Yeah,” Gaffer with a frown on his face. “That thing we’ve been talking about for the past ten minutes.” Shining Armor’s eye twitched as his expression became lost. “I forgot about the dance.” Fleur let out a tiny giggle. “Well, it’s not as if you have plenty of time still. You stallions don't need as much preparation as a mare does.” “Well, since Sunset’s not here, I'm sure you don't need to be worried about her finding out about how you forgot about the Formal,” Fleur assured him. “If your ready in time that is.” Sweat began to appear on Shiny’s forehead. “Wait,” Cheerilee spoke up. “I thought you and Cadance were together, Shining Armor.” Ignoring the others, Cadance put her nose on the young stallion’s forehead for a few seconds, then took it away. “Well, you don't have a fever,” she mumbled to herself as the rest of the group finished talking in hushed whispers. Poindexter looked over to the shining stallion. “Hey Armor. I know we kind of joke about you and the princesses-” After looking away from Shiny, Cadance glared at the earth pony stallion. “What do you mean joke?” she demanded. “If you guys are making fun of him!” The pink princess theft the rest unsaid, knowing whatever they came up with would be worse than anything she could think of. “Nonono!” Eight-Bit quickly replied. “We just poke a little fun at Shiny that he’s kind of...dating...both of you.” Cadance snorted and rolled her eyes. “Don’t be stupid. You can’t have two special someponies!” she said with angry convection. “That’s why they call ponies in relationship couples! Yes, me and Shiny went on a date, but that was just to see how compatible we were. Shiny’s going to pick which one of us he wants to be with officially, and take her to the dance. Right, Shiny?” After looking over to the stallion, Cadance blinked in confusion. Mostly because said pony’s whole body was shivering despite the layer of sweat his coat was drenched in. And the wide-eyed look of hopeless despair. “Umm...Shiny? Maybe you should go see the nurse,” a second before the bell signaling the end of lunch rang. Shining Armor looked around in confusion as he trotted into the gymnasium and looked around at the odd obsticle course laid out before him. “What the-” The sound of a whip cracking made Shining Armor straighten himself up to stand at attention. “Very good.” The familiar voice with a strange accent had Shining Armor looking to his left to see Princess Cadance and some pony with a white coat and blonde mane looking back at him with matching blue eyes. While the mystery pony was naked, Cadance had on an odd black uniform on that was decorated with iron crosses and crooked plus signs like the one decorating the red heart that comprised the white pony’s cutie mark. “C-Cadance?” A riding crop appeared out of nowhere and held in Cadance's magic to smack Shining Armor on his rear. “Ow!” “Ze consort in training vill not address her Highness vithout her proper title!” the white pony announced loudly. To punctuate the point, the riding crop in Cadance’s magic swung around to swat him again. After he let out another yelp of pain, a black leather bridle appeared and flew over to put itself in place around Shiny’s muzzle while the lead rope glowed with Cadance’s magic tugged him along the obstacle course and the white pony trotted alongside him, lecturing Shining Armor as they went. If he fell even a step behind, which happened a lot, the riding crop in Cadance's magic would encourage him to hurry up. “Now, ze consort of ze Princess must be a perfect specimen of pony,” the white mare announced as Shiny lagged behind her, getting a swat for his sluggishness. “He must be strong, but gentle.” Thwack! “Brave! But considerate.” Thwack! “Powerful! But kind.” Twack! “Mannered! But sensible.” Shining Armor didn’t know how long the course went on, forcing him to jump through hoops and walk on water as he tried to live up to Cadance’s expectations of a perfect pony while the white pony with the blonde mane and blue eyes rattled off a pair of traits that were near-contradictions right before Shining Armor paused to consider her words and got a swat for his trouble. Halfway through the course, Shining Armor reared back. “Wait! Wait, wait!” Instead of smacking him with the riding crop again, Princess Cadance turned around. Unlike the authoritarian pony, the Princess beautiful face had its usual loving concern. “Yes, Shiny? Is there something wrong?” “Why’re you making me do all of this?” he asked, pleading for an answer. Cadance blinked. “Shiny, don’t you remember all the time I had to spend on you before you got that kiss from Sunset? I think that anypony who wants to be with a princess has to be perfect,” she explained before giving the unicorn a loving smile. “Don’t worry, Shiny. I know you can be worthy of me. You just need to become captain of the royal guard, save Equestria a dozen times, and be the most skilled sex partner in the world.” “Uhhhh…” The hesitation at the last part got a frown from Cadance. “Shiny, I’m the Princess of Love. I expect my stallion to be as good as I am,” she told him. “Even if my expectations are completely unreasonable and have no chance of ever being met, I still have faith you will exceed them.” “But...but...but what you expect is impossible!” Shining Armor exclaimed. “You wanted me to fight a dragon to rescue Sunset! Me! Not my character! All the faith in the world doesn’t mean anything if what you want me to do, who you expect me to be is impossible!” All of a sudden, the floor beneath Shining Armor gave way, and he let out a cry of brave suprse as he plummeted into a black abyss. He closed his eyes to wait for the splat… ... ...only to open them and find himself standing in the entryway in a fancy ballroom that was filled with important ponies. Unlike before, Shiny found himself wearing the uniform of a high-ranking military officer with a dozen medals hanging from his uniform. Next to the young stallion, a pony held a trumpet to his lips and played a trio of loud notes, making everypony in the room take notice. “Announcing the stallion of the hour, most powerful unicorn in Equestria! The magnificent stallion that saved all of Manehattan without even the use of his horn, commander of the royal guard! Captain Shining Armor!” All of the ponies in the room stomped their hooves in approval of Equestria’s hero, for whom this celebration was for, made way for Shining Armor as he trotted forward into the crowd. All around him, Shiny picked up the whispered words from the crowd. “I heard he’s the most powerful unicorn since Starswirl.” “I heard he repelled a changeling swarm all by himself.” “His shield can cover all of Canterlot, you know.” “And it’s completely unbreakable. We don’t have to be worried about anything as long as Captain Shining Armor is here to protect us.” Every word made him stand up a little straighter as he looked around the hall with the stained glass windows showing Shining Armor saving Equestria dozens of times. And why shouldn’t he be? Shining Armor was everything he ever wanted to be. He was strong, powerful, heroic, respected, and had the top-ranked job in the military. There wasn’t anypony in Equestria that came close to- “Announcing her Royal Highness, Princess Sunset Shimmer!” The crowd that that been discussing Shining Armor's amazingness a moment before falling into a bow while a hushed silence came over the room. He turned around, and his mouth dropped at the newcomer’s appearance. Sunset Shimmer was easily as large as Celestia, if not a little bit bigger. A flowing made of red and gold trailed behind her as she stepped into the room, wearing dark obsidian regalia with bright rubies decorating each of her horseshoes and crown while her amazing tail trailed in the air behind her. Unlike with Shining Armor, nopony spoke as Sunset passed them. Their admiration and respect for the mare kept them silent while she trotted through the crowd. She came right up to Captain Shining Armor and smiled down at him. “Hello Shiny.” “Princess,” he replied before also going into a bow. As if his movements were a cue for everypony else, the Canterlot nobility galloped forward to gather around Sunset Shimmer, with each new pony pushing Shining Armor away to try and get closer to the more important pony. “What the-” he said before a stallion knocked him back to join the herd clamoring for her attention. “Sunset!” Shining Armor called out. The Princess looked up from the crowd. “Oh, Shiny! Could you get me some punch. Talking to all these important ponies is thirsty work.” Although it was beneath a hero of his caliber, Shining Armor nodded before trotting over to the buffet table where the food and drinks were kept. And blinked when he found Princess Celestia standing there, dressed as a serving maid. “Ah, Shining Armor, how can I help you?” “Princess Celestia?” Shining Armor asked as he cocked his head in confusion. The big alicorn giggled. “Oh, I’m not a Princess anymore, silly pony. Ever since Empress Sunset was coordinated, she’s controlled the government, protected Equestria, and handled moving the celestial bodies. What is a pony like you doing here?” Shining Armor stood up tall and proud. “I because this is my party, for my most recent victory against...um....” The stallion frowned. It was odd that he couldn’t remember just what the party was about. So, he looked up to the stained glass windows for a reminder. And blinked at what he saw. Instead of depictions showing Captain Shining Armor’s heroic accomplishments, each window was an artwork centered around Sunset. In one, she defeated an army of changelings with ease. Another window had her shielding the entire mountain of Canterlot from an attack. A third showed the unicorn Starswirl the Bearded bowing to her superior knowledge and power. Behind Shining Armor, Celestia leaned in. “Now, what exactly was it that you did that Empress Sunset was too busy to take care of?” “I…” Shining Armor said as he tried to remember. Then, the entire room shook, curtains as thick as throw rugs that covered the twenty foot tall windows of the ballroom blew in the wind, and a magical power so mighty that it nearly crushed Shining Armor’s horn from its very presence pushed down on the stallion’s skull. “Oh, here Sunset comes now,” Celestia said as she focused her gaze upwards. “Empress, what did Shining Armor do that was so special you threw him a celebration?" Shining Armor turned around to face Sunset...and froze in shock. Instead of the Sunset Shining Armor had seen before, Empress Sunset was far bigger than anypony alive, large enough for Shining Armor to walk under without even lowering his head. Her eyes shown with a nearly blinding white light while her horn hummed with power and her wings crackled with electricity. She took one more step that shook the room so much it nearly knocked Shining Armor off his hooves, then let out a deep chuckle. “Oh-Hoho! My darling little Shiny doesn’t need a reason for me to throw a party for him,” she said before laying on her belly, then bending her head down to kiss Shining Armor on the cheek with lips that were almost too big for the act. “I do all the important things. He’s just there to make me happy. That’s reason enough for me to have a little get together.” “W-What?” Shining Armor stuttered out. “N-No. That’s not...I’m a brave hero!” Celestia giggled. “Oh Shining Armor. What could you ever possibly do that Sunset can’t easily trump?” The question had Shining Armor wracking his brain for an answer. But, try as he might, he couldn’t think of one. Even as Equestria’s most powerful unicorn, Sunset’s alicorn magic was far superior. She was bigger than him, stronger, faster, smarter...in every single measurable way, Sunset Shimmer was a million times better than the very best pony Shining Armor could ever dream of becoming. All of a sudden, a scream brought Shining Armor’s mind out of it’s pointless search for superiority on some level to the most amazing pony ever, and he looked up as somepony bucked open the doors to the ballroom and ran inside. “Somepony help! It’s the changeling queen, she’s attacking Canterlot!” Shining Armor’s eyes widened in hope. Even if Sunset was better at him than everything, it didn’t mean he still couldn’t do great things! “Don’t worry everypony!” Shining shouted as he summoned his armor and galloped towards the nearest window. “I’ll protect you all!” After crashing through the window, Shining Armor landed and charged through the palace’s front gate to meet an enemy even Princess Celestia had trouble with! The changeling queen was everything that his mother had told him during her bedtime stories and worse. Standing eight feet tall, the monstrous creature looked like some freakish cross between a pony and a cockroach. Six legs held it up while a pair of horns jutted from it head, along with a dozen beady eyes. Chitin thicker than any armor covered every inch of its horrid body. It would be a tough battle, but Shining Armor knew that in the end, he would prevail. So, he summoned up every drop of his magical power and… ...watched as a giant amber hoof attached to a leg thicker than any tree descended to crush the changeling queen as if she were a cockroach, making Shining Armor fall back on his plot and look up. The fifty-foot goddess that was Sunset Shimmer rubbed her hoof into the ground a bit to make sure the changeling was dead, then looked over to where Shining Armor was sitting. Every inch of her coat glowed with mystical power that gave off enough light to make it seem like noon to anypony around her, making the white stallion easy to spot. “Shiny? What’re you doing here?” “I...wanted to...be a hero.” Sunset laughed, and all of Canterlot trembled at the sound of her voice. “Oh. My little Shiny. I’m all the hero Equestria is ever going to need. But don’t worry. I still have a use for you.” A magic field surrounded Shining Armor and he floated up until he was eye level with the goddess. Then, Sunset’s smile turned seductive. “They only use I ever had for you.” “Wha-? Shining Armor asked before he saw Sunset raise the back of her tail up. Which made Shining Armor’s eyes go wide in horror. “Oh no,” he squeaked out. “In you go, my little sex toy.” “AAAAAAAAAAAH!” Shining Armor screamed as he floated past Sunset’s body at roller coaster speeds and curve right as he passed her flank to be- “AHHHH!” Shining Armor shrieked as he shot up in his bed. Not...where he had seen himself heading. After panting in terror for several seconds, the stallion lit up his horn a looked around. The familiar scenery of his bedroom made the pounding in his heart slowly subside. “Dream. It was...just a dream,” Shining Armor told himself. A dream that involved a very fascist Cadance with a penchant for...encouragement tools, and an overgrown Sunset who was a bit too affectionate for his taste. But, a dream was all it was. “Okay...okay, I’m good,” Shining Armor told himself. “Now just, uh...back to sleep.” The young stallion laid back down in his bed, putting his blankets back up as he did so. Then, he rolled over onto his side. And found himself, slightly more damp than he had been before. Not from sweat. It was a sticky kind of damp. Near his midsection. So, the colt blinked at the feeling, bemoaned the mess, and let out a verbal cry of displeasure. “Oh, come on!”