//------------------------------// // Chapter Fourteen: Apologies/ Repairs/ Preparations/ Forgiveness // Story: Broken Hearts // by Silver Inkwell //------------------------------// Chapter Fourteen: Apologies/ Repairs/ Preparations/ Forgiveness The next few days were spent repairing the castle and quickly decorating if for the incoming celebration, and for the first time in forever there was a spark of hope and life and a certain feeling through the air, everypony was nervous and excited, and everypony was more than ready and willing for this new change, Flurry most of all since she had spent years in the castle all alone with nothing to do, but now for the first time in forever there was actually going to be something in the castle, and this time her mother would be there in a silly dress that made one cute, as Flurry jokingly teased to her mother when they went out to shop for stuff for the party. Cadence smiled at this tease but was willing to endure whatever her daughter had planned for them if it made her happy. The summer sun celebration was fast approaching them and there was very little time to prepare, but one way or another they would do it, there was barely a month before it came and everypony was doing all that they could for it. But when there was a moment to spare Cadence took her daughter aside and kept saying that she was sorry, and Flurry said it was okay and that she forgave her, but it got to the point where Flurry asked her to stop because she already knew and now it was just annoying. Cadence gladly complied to her wishes. Eventually, with a little bit of luck, the preparations were soon done and everything was perfect and Shadow and Flurry were very close now, and it looked like the bridges of the past and the castle too had all been repaired and Flurry couldn't see how things could get better than this, but she also didn't want to jinx her luck by saying something like ‘What could possibly go wrong?’. Yet as the days slowly started to approach the celebration she felt like there was still something off and wrong in the air and she remembered Discord’s warning and hoped that he was wrong, but if she could feel something was off or at least thought that is was, well, that probably wasn't a good sign of things to come and she wondered if she should tell the others, it probably wouldn't hurt… “Hey there you two,” she said just a few days before the celebrations would officially begin, to be exact three days before the summer solstice, “I wanted to talk to you about something important and to also ask you a question, have either of you been seeing or hearing things? Do you feel like something is wrong or off in the air? Anything at all? Every single little detail is important.” “No, why?” Cadence asked with a concerned frown as Shadow shook his head. “Because Discord gave me a warning and I think there might be something off, and I can even feel it, but I hope we’re wrong, but I wanted to tell you just in case, after all, we have to be prepared for anything that might come our way, and I really do not want to be caught unprepared for anything, understand?” “Yes, we do, we’ll keep an ear and eye out, but don't worry, nothing will happen, I’m sure of it, besides, even if something did go wrong there is a whole lot of stuff and things and ponies to always keep you safe no matter what the price might be, put your worries aside and just try to relax and have fun, okay?” “I will, but that is very ironic advice coming from you mother.” “Hey, I’m a very fast learner,” she said with a smile. “Well I’m glad for that fact, but you’re right, I should try to relax, and I’m sure that I can and will be able to, but only if I had somepony else to help me…” “Like me for example?” Shadow asked with a smile at her. “Yes, like you,” Flurry said planting a kiss right on front of her mother. “Hey, I thought we agreed that you had to kiss out of my sight!” “Oh, just shut up and grow up already!” Flurry said with a giggle. Cadence merely rolled her eyes as she went around to do her duties, this time with more life and vigor even doing things that she had stopped doing ever since Shining’s death (like ceremonial things and judging contests too). Shadow and Flurry kissed passionately for a very long time as a shadow in the darkness slowly started so slither away and cry to itself as it went back to its master, and the master was angry, but not at it, but soon master would have their way, master would take revenge, master would be victorious. Shadow and Flurry finished up the kiss and decided to recheck the preparations (since that was about the only thing they had left to do anymore) and went out of the room going around as Flurry smiled remembering past stories. “I remember when Twilight told me the story of the first time she went to Ponyville and the first time I heard it was just wow, do you want to hear her tale?” “Sure thing, I could use some good nostalgia right about now,” he said “Alright, fine then, all Twilight wanted to do was what Celestia had asked, nothing more, she never expected to make a friend much less anything more or less, she had a job to do and she wanted to do it, and she did, but she did so much more, she says she’ll always remember that as one of the best days in her life because it was the day she met her friends, she said that other days were good too, but very few things could compare to that day, one of them was the day she heard about me being born and my mother ready to have a baby. She said that before her friends she was isolated and alone, but of her own free will, she was as her friends call her, an egghead, studious and a perfect student that was always on time and overachieved many things time and time again. She was never like me, and she said on many occasions that I was like both of my parents, brave, smart, powerful, optimistic, and unwilling to give up anything without a fight first, and I would have to agree with her because I don't know nearly enough yet to say that she is wrong,” Flurry said. “Interesting, but now I’m sure you can learn more about your past since your mother was willing to take all of that old stuff back out of your father.” “Indeed, but I wish that she could have realized all of this sooner.” “We all do, but time lost is only a regret, and regrets keep you from living, that is the sad cycle and trap of life that most fall into, they keep reliving mistakes and keep regretting and forgetting to live forever trapped in misery and pain, their strife never-ending, and I do not wish that for you or anypony else that I care about and love, I will always be by your side, and wherever we go the darkness and shadows cannot touch us, and even if they do together we will be able to conquer anything that might come our way,” he said. “How inspiring, tell me, do you have a list of inspirational stuff inside your mind?” Flurry asked smiling at him while gently rubbing his body. “I have a list of whatever you want me to, I am yours, and you are mine, can you not see that now or are you too blinded by our own love?” he asked. “I might be blinded by love, and I might be a fool for rushing in, but at least I’m not an idiot like you are,” she teased booping his nose gently. “And at least I am not the wing queen or the princess of teasing either.” “Fair point, but come on, show me what you’re made of already,” she said. “As you wish,” Shadow said pushing her back into their own room locking the door as preparations went on outside, but everypony around them was oblivious to what they were doing and they did not hear the sounds of love that they made. And afterwards the only thing they could manage to do now was to fall asleep.