//------------------------------// // 5. Toxic Love // Story: Toxic Love // by Silvermyr //------------------------------// Three weeks later DONG! DONG! DONG! The bell tolled one last time before silencing. Most ponies stood silent around the coffin, but no small number were crying, and none more so than a lonely crystal mare named Rose Quartz. Cadance’s heart ached for her, and that was one reason she had decided to attend the funeral in person. The other reason was that she felt guilty somehow. Cadance had spotted Rose swooning over the now dead stallion some weeks before. With her knack for relationships it had been easy enough to guess just what feelings the mare had. After a little prodding, Cadance was happy to conclude that they would fit well together. A small push in the right direction was all it took for them to fall in love with one another. It did not seem like that particular love was meant to be, however. The stallion had apparently committed suicide just a few days ago. To Cadance it felt like a bucket of water had been thrown in her face. She had not sensed any type of sadness in him when she probed his feelings. She pushed that thought away. Rose Quartz was the one who was truly suffering, and it was her Cadance had to help and console now. ”Hello,” she said softly. ”P-princess,” Rose quartz made a haphazard attempt in collecting herself and smile at Cadance, but her eyes were still red and glossy. ”I didn’t realize you were here…” ”I wanted to give you my condolences,” Cadance said sadly. ”I… can’t pretend to know how you feel, but I know that nopony should have to face something like this alone. I can’t bring your loved one back, but I want you to know that if there is anything you want me to do, or if you just somepony to talk to, then I will listen.” ”Oh…” Rose looked at Cadance, surprise almost drowning out the sorrow on her face. ”Well I guess… Thank you. Thank you so much…” Cadance put a hoof at Rose’s shoulder. ”I know it’s hard, but try to remember you are not alone in your hurt. Your friends will be there with you too.” ”Cadance!” Shining Armor came to meet her the moment she stepped through the castle door. ”I missed you. How was the funeral?” ”I guess it was as good as expected,” Cadance said with a sigh. They hugged. ”I invited poor Rose here in case she need somepony to talk to. I don’t know if she will come, but I had to do something for her.” ”That’s fine. We should try to help any way we can,” Shining Armor kissed her on the cheek, giving her a suggestive little lick too. She gently pushed him away. ”Not now, the city planners wanted me to look through a suggestion for a new park.” ”Can’t you do that later? I have waited for you to come home, and I’m sure Flurry too wants to see you,” Shining Armor asked hopefully. ”No, I can’t just stop working just because I am a mother now,” Cadance said with a sigh. ”I’m already running later than I should. I’ve got to go.” ”I’ll be thinking of you!” Shining Armor said. ”It’s cute when he is that amorous.” Cadance thought wistfully as she went through the crystal castle to the meeting room. In fact, the affection Shining Armor showered her with was a beautiful gift to the alicorn of love, and one that kept her mind off another matter. What she had done to her husband still gnawed at the back of her mind. She knew there was no true alternative that she could have lived with, but that still did not make her feel to good about what she had done. Furthermore, she was still anxious as to whether the ritual had worked or not. It would take time for her to determine that, years most likely. Until she had concrete evidence from her own experience, rhather than the experience Sombra had implanted in her, she could not be sure it had worked. And if it did work, then she would have to tell Shining Armor what she had done. He would resent her for it. She knew he would. But she was also sure their love was strong enough to survive it. It would take time and effort to regain his trust, but if there was one thing she had it was time, and for her love no effort could be to big. Cadance shook her head. Never mind this now; she had other matters to take care of. A few days later ”I used to imagine my life with him,” Rose Quartz said in a lifeless voice. In fact, just about everything about her looked more dead than alive. Her soft red mane was messy and oily, evidently not washed for days. Her eyes had stared out in space ever since she came to Cadance today. She had looked at Cadance when they greeted one another, but she had not really seen her. The cup of tea Cadance had offered likewise stood untouched. ”How we’d sell my house and move into his. How we’d use the money to… to-” Rose Quartz choked forth a sobbing wail. ”We should have had a foal! When I went in heat we would- we would-! Just a few months more and we-!” She screamed out her sorrow in one long, mournful cry before she collapsed into Cadance’s hooves and cried into her shoulder. ”Shh, it’s alright to cry,” Cadance whispered and hugged the broken pony. ”It’s alright. Just let everything out.” ”This isn’t fair! What did he do to deserve this!?” Rose cried. ”What kind of world does this!? Why can’t you princesses do something about this!? I don’t want to be alone! Not after him! I want him back! Please!” ”He is not coming back,” Cadance whispered as softly as she could. ”I’m sorry, but he is gone.” ”No! Nonono!” Rose wailed and let go of Cadance. She got up from her chair and laid down on the floor. ”Come back!” she screamed and bashed her head into the crystal floor. ”Come back!” ”Rose Quartz, stop,” Cadance said firmly and levitated the disheveled pony up and hugged her again. ”That’s enough.” Rose Quartz seemed to melt into her embrace, as if all her stamina simply disappeared. She just cried into Cadance’s shoulder without hugging her back. ”Cadance~” Shining Armor called with a sing-song voice. ”Flurry Heart and I really miss you~!” Cadance stiffened. That was precisely the sort of thing Rose Quartz should not have to hear. Was her husband stupid? He knew what she was doing, how could he shout something like that now!? ”Later!” she shouted shortly, just wanting to silence her daft husband. ”But we miss you now~!” Rise Quartz gave a pitiful whine and pushed Cadance away. ”S-sorry for disturbing you,” she whispered, though her voice cracked at the last word. The pale red crystal pony turned around and ran for the door, tears flowing freely down her face. Cadance looked after her, filled with equal parts sadness and an intense wish to murder Shining Armor. She could not do anything about the first of those feelings right now, so she decided to take care of the second one. She thundered out of the room and went to find her husband and a battle axe. As she turned around a corner that would take her to the nursery she suddenly found herself caught in a pair of strong hooves. Her surprised sound was cut short by a kiss on the lips. Angrily she pushed Shining Armor away. ”What do you think you are doing you big oaf!? Do you realize how poor Rose must feel right now!? How could you say something like that when I was with her!?” ”Well, just as I said, I really missed you,” Shining Armor said simply, staring right at Cadance without blinking. ”I don’t really know about Flurry, but she’s not important. As long as you are here with me, that’s all that matters.” Cadance took a step back, a chill rushing down her spine. Flurry Heart was not important? Shining Armor would never say such a thing, it was as alien as a goodhearted Queen Chrysalis. ”What’s with you, Shining? You don’t sound like yourself.” ”There is nothing wrong with me, Cadance,” Shining said with a grin. He still had not blinked or taken his eyes off her. ”Not now that you are here. I’ve never felt better. I love you, Cadance. I love you so much I just want to hold you, kiss you… I would eat you, if I could.” To be fair, it was not the strangest thing Shining Armor had ever said to her during all their nights when they were cuddling and whispering sweet nothings to each other, but the manic smile and dead stare made this the creepiest thing she had ever heard him say. ”Just kidding!” Shining Armor said and finally broke the manic look with a hearty laugh. ”You’re to easy at times, Cadance.” Cadance did not know what to say. Then she remembered why she came. ”Really funny! Too bad I’m not really in the mood for your stupid jokes! Rose Quartz will be heartbroken thanks to you!” ”Don’t yell, Flurry will be worried,” Shining Armor said calmingly. ”I will explain, I promise, but let’s take care of Flurry first. It’s time for her lunch.” Cadance glared at Shining. ”Fine, but I will expect one good explanation from you the moment she is done, understood?” ”Of course, Cadance. Calm down.” Together they prepared Flurry’s food, as well as tracked down some of her toys around the castle. They should all be in her room, but since she continued to use her teleportation spell at random they usually disappeared from there rather quickly. Thankfully Twilight had enhanced them with a tracking spell, allowing them to be easily returned. Sunburst sat on a chair when they entered the nursery, keeping an eye on Flurry trying to build a tower of alphabet blocks. The moment she saw her mom and dad enter she abandoned her tower and ran over to them. ”Hello Sunburst,” Cadance said. ”How has she been behaving today?” ”As usual,” Sunburst said and marked the book he had been reading. ”A few errant teleportations into the pantry, but nothing too major.” ”How do you know she teleported to the pantry of all places?” Shining Armor asked as her went down and nuzzled his daughter. ”She didn’t teleport there, she teleported me there. Also, while we are on the subject, perhaps you can place a key inside the pantry too? I had to wait for the chef to unlock the door before I got out.” ”Silly little Flurry,” Shining said softly. ”You know what we have said about teleporting Sunburst away.” Flurry answered with a happy gurgle and waved her forelegs up and down. Her horn lit up but flicked out immediately again. ”Hello, Flurry,” Cadance said and went down beside Shining Armor to nuzzle her foal. Flurry shivered and, with a frightened wail, conjured up a shield around her. ”Flurry!?” Cadance exclaimed, the warm feeling in her chest suddenly twisting into cold fear. ”What happened!? It’s just me, your mommy!” Flurry heart coughed violently and looked around her, eyes wide and pupils like pinpricks. The yellow bubble around Flurry became brighter, stronger. ”Sunburst, is she ill!?” Shining Armor asked with a voice trained to instill immediate obedience into guard recruits. ”She was fine until just now,” Sunburst said. ”and alicorns don’t get sick.” Flurry’s bubble-like shield glowed like a small sun before it abruptly went out. Flurry laid on the floor, fainted. ”FLURRY!?” Cadance and Shining Armor both cried out in terror. ”Cadance, send a message to Spike and Twilight, right now! Sunburst, stay here and keep watch over her! I will go get a doctor!” Shining Armor’s voice broke no argument. Cadance had already written half of the message before he was done talking.