//------------------------------//
// 8. Move Along - The All-American Rejects 
// Story: When Words Fail, Music Speaks 
// by ObabScribbler 
//------------------------------//





8. Move Along - The All-American Rejects





The battle was over. The day was saved. The Changelings had been defeated. It should have been a time for great rejoicing. Everypony should have been pverflowing with happiness.

Shining wouldn’t look at her. Not once. 

Cadence bit her lip. “Sweetheart? What … what’s wrong?” she asked, frightened of the answer she might get. 

They had been separated for weeks and she had returned to find him so firmly in the grip of Chrysalis that she worried the mind control had left lasting damage. What if driving away the Changeling queen had sucked out all the love Shining had for her? What if being around her now reminded him too much of his ordeal? What if -?

“I’m sorry,” Shining whispered.

Cadence blinked in surprise. “Sorry? Ponyfeather, what do you have to be sorry for? I’m the one who should be sorry.”

He hung his head, still not looking at her. “I didn’t … I didnb’t realise,” he said, so softly she could bearely hear him. “That she wasn’t you. You’re … I love you, Cadence, and I didn’t realise you’d been replaced with some magic-sucking bug.” He closed his eyes in shame. “I so, so sorry.”

Cadence looked at him. Her fiancé. The stallion she loved with all her heart. She moved to his side and nuzzled his neck. He reacted with astonishment, rearing back and away from her.

“Chrysalis was stalking us for months, love. She told me when she imprisoned me. She and her changelings had us followed everywhere. She was planning this for longer than anypony knew – she set out to learn everything about me in order to mimic me so nopony would know. Not even Celestia realised it was her, and she practically raised me.”

“Twiley realised,” said Shining.

“Yes, and for that I’m forever grateful.” Cadence stepped to him and nuzzled his neck again. This time he didn’t pull back. “If it hadn’t been for her, I would have lost you. I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you, Shining. I … I’m sorry too.”

“What? Why?”

“For nearly giving up. When I was in the caves, I didn’t think I’d be able to get out and save you. I tried so hard to escape, but I couldn’t, so I …” She trailed off, unable to put into words the deep despair that had gripped her when she comprehended how thoroughly Chrysalis had imprisoned her. No way to communicate with the outside word, no way to use her magic to break free, no food, no water – by the time Twikight found her she had been half-crazed with dehydration, sleep deprivation and plain old exhaustion from running around in a panic.

Shining hooked his head over hers, pulling her into him. “But you didn’t give up. You loved me enough to keep going.”

“And you loved me enough to defeat the bug who fooled everypony when no-one else could.” Cadence closed her eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of him. He was wearing the cologne she had given him last birthday and the faint aroma of her own magic still clung to his fur like burnt ozone and spices. “I love you, Shining Armour.”

“And I love you too, Mi Amori Cadenza.”

“If you call me that again I may have to hurt you, though.”

He laughed and it was the most wonderful sound se had ever heard.