//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: Cadence 
// Story: Siege of the Crystal Empire 
// by Mystic Mind 
//------------------------------//


(5: Cadence)


An explosive boom violently shook the floors of the royal quarter, snapping Princess Cadence back to wakefulness just as she was about to doze off. Her only child, Flurry Heart, cried out in fear from the deafening sound of siege machines pummelling the outer walls.
“Hush now, little one,” Cadence whispered, rocking her baby back and forth to comfort her. “Nothing will hurt you, I promise.”
As much as she wished she could keep that promise, given how long the siege had lasted so far, Cadence couldn't help but fear how difficult it was becoming. She never thought the Crystal Empire would ever face such a terrible threat again after the defeat of King Sombra, but her dishevelled state was a testament to how dire the situation had become. It had been five days since the siege began, facing an enemy the likes of which she'd never seen before. They didn't tire nor grow hungry, only increasing their efforts to break through as time went on.
Gently placing her baby back down in her cot, Cadence gazed into the face of the grandfather clock and focused her magic. In ten minutes time, she would take a scheduled shift change with her husband, Prince Shining Armour, who was helping to buff the magical barrier generated by the Crystal Heart. Normally only used to shut out the freezing northern weather that surrounded the empire, now it had to be constantly monitored every moment the siege went on, lest the invading legion break through the physical walls and overrun the city.
Closing her eyes, Cadence connected her mind with her arcane power. A flash of pain shot through her horn, her magic flickering as she struggled to cast the shielding spell. Panting heavily, her knees quivering as she struggled to remain on her hooves, Cadence forced her will to draw upon what little stamina she had left to complete the incantation. Shining Armour had agreed upon the shift pattern to allow her time to sleep and recharge her strength, but with the constant explosions and sounds of battle coming from outside the walls, getting any meaningful rest was an impossible task.
Collapsing to her knees, Cadence barely managed to push the spell through, wrapping her daughter's bed in a secure pink bubble that would protect her from all outside forces. She had kept the city safe from dark magic once before: were it not for her efforts in keeping the barrier active, then Sombra would have easily recaptured the Crystal Empire, and if that happened, then there would be no escape. That had only been for a total of twelve hours, at most. This assault, by comparison, was pushing her far beyond her physical limits. If she didn't find a way to destroy the armoured legion soon, then the Crystal Empire would surely fall.
“Princess?”
A soft, gravelly voice caught Cadence's attention.
“Oh, my goodness, Princess! Are you alright?” The elderly crystal pony rushed to Cadence's side, wrapping his hoof around her shoulders to help her up.
“Thank you for your concern, Emerald,” Cadence said, still feeling unsteady on her feet. “But don't worry about me, I can still do what needs to be done. Rest assured, I won't fail you.”
“That should be my line, Princess.” Emerald gave Cadence a light grin and chuckled, allowing her to enjoy the blissful moment in an otherwise dire situation.
“What's the status on the Crystal Lancers, Commander? Are they ready to be redeployed?”
“Almost, Princess. The Canterlot division has done well to hold the line so far, but none of us have made any advances.”
“What about the distress message I ordered to be send out three days ago? Have reinforcements arrived?”
Emerald's face dropped. “The courier was sent out as ordered, but the only one who would risk blizzard flight was a local Mail Mare. We haven't heard from her since.”
Cadence's heart sank. Without reinforcements, the likelihood of a victory may as well have been zero. If it was possible for the Princess of Love to feel hopeless, she refused to show it. Better to encourage hope in her subjects than to concede to a crushing defeat.
“Have you found any new information to work out today's plan?”
“As a matter of fact, I have.” Emerald's face rose again. “Since the siege began, we have managed to learn some vital facts about these Phantom Stallions. Are you familiar with the name 'Meteor Might'?”
Cadence thought for a moment. It was impossible to learn the names of all her citizens, but this one in particular did stand out more than most. “Isn't she our head blacksmith?” she asked.
“Not only that,” Emerald continued, his heart swelling with pride as he recalled the tales of his friend’s heroism during his recovery. “She was the first pony to ever destroy a Phantom Stallion, even before First Officer Stellar Shine's heroic intervention. According to her, the phantoms all have a magical gem embedded in their breastplates. Destroy that, and you destroy the ghost within.”
“That must be the source of the magic that's keeping them alive,” Cadence said, though this brought up an important question. “Has the army made any more gains since receiving this information?”
“I have to be honest with you, Princess, results have been mixed. As you can imagine, it isn't easy to strike a killing blow in that one spot with any degree of accuracy. Though in the past two days, there has been an increase in the number of Ice Trolls who are aiding the army. The siege machines, from what I am told, are made mostly from materials raided from the train I was guarding.” Emerald broke his eye contact with Cadence, blushing with shame at the fact that his failure was directly tied to the start of the war.
Silence fell over the two ponies, the implications of this new information stirring around in their minds. Looking over to Flurry Heart, who had at last fallen into a peaceful sleep, Cadence took a deep breath and turned back to Emerald. “Can you take me to see Meteor Might and Stellar Shine? I want to thank them both personally for everything they've done so far.”
“Absolutely, Princess!” Emerald saluted and pushed open the chamber doors, holding it open for Cadence. “Right this way, ma'am. Your chosen heroes await.”
Cadence couldn't resist laughing at such a cheesy line, appreciating the levity the silliness granted. Now all she needed to do was transfer this moral boost to the rest of her soldiers.