//------------------------------// // Chapter 16. What the hell do I say? // Story: Help! I've Turned Into a Princess! // by ScorchingFlamesInc //------------------------------// I blinked. "Um... excuse me?" "How does it feel... not having..." Shining cleared his throat. "How does it feel not having what makes you... male?" I blushed. "Er... um... well..." I shuffled my hind legs a bit. "It feels... weird. Empty. Never noticed the difference until now..." "No. Describe it in detail," Shining replied. I turned as red as a tomato. "What?! No!" A guard then came in. Saved by the bell. "Princess Cadance. The crystal ponies are gathering outside," he said. I gulped. "What should I say?!" I hissed. "What?!" Shining hissed back. "Help me out here! What should I say?!" "I don't know! Something like... 'Everything's going to be all right. I'm definitely not a human possessing the real Cadance!'" "Dude! Are you even on my side?!" "I'm sorry... I want to help!" Shining admitted. "But this is still so hard to take in. Look, just be reassuring, and seem brave. Tell them that everything will be fine." I just sighed. "Alright... let's do this!" I turned, my tail swishing like a skirt. The guard led me to where I needed to go, though why he did lead me I didn't know. Do they always do this? Right... guards. Finally, we arrived, and I stepped out onto the balcony. There were so many crystal ponies below me... the thought of lying to so many folks made me feel queasy. "Um..." I cleared my voice. Wait! There's no mic! Right... I need to speak loud. Does it have to be Royal Canterlot voice loud? So many thoughts... must... calm... down. "CITIZENS OF THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE!!" I called out. Wait, I didn't intend to say that. I didn't even intend to move my mouth! I suddenly stepped forward, but I didn't intend that either. It almost felt as if I wasn't in control of my body anymore... almost as if someone else is controlling, and I have to sit back and watch. "I APOLOGIZE FOR MY ABSENSE, AS WELL AS THE PANIC THAT IT HAS CAUSED YOU! BUT NOW THAT I'VE RETURNED, ALL PANIC CAN SUBSIDE! AND THE OBJECT THAT CAUSED MY DISAPPEARENCE WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WITH THE HELP OF PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE! IN THE MEANTIME, STAY SAFE, STAY HAPPY, AND STAY POSITIVE! THANK YOU! THAT IS ALL!" Wait... that's it? That wasn't even thirty seconds long! As my body turned and began to walk away, I suddenly felt myself phase back into control... was that the right sentence? Shining ran up to me. "See? What were you so worried about?" he assured. "You did great for a ten second speech!" "Yeah, well here's the thing..." I muttered. "I... don't think that was me." "What?" Shining tilted his head. "When I began, I suddenly felt like I lost control. Almost as if someone else was in control..." "You don't think-" Shining was cut off when a letter suddenly appeared. My heart jumped as I lept. He opened it. "Meet me up front... Your's truly, Princess Twilight Sparkle." "Oh boy..." I muttered. When we last met, Twilight just wanted to cut to the case it seemed, and she brought the burden of caring for a kingdom and family on me. Thinking about it, it seemed so unfair. And here I thought Twilight would actually be understanding and not a bitch. "What?" Shining asked. "It's nothing..." I muttered. "It's just that when we last met, she pretty much cut to the chase. She pretty much explained how I got into this mess, and then left me to care for everything." "What? That's unfair! And kind of weird for her to do..." "Look, we'll meet her outside, and see what she has to say." "Well... okay." And then the both of us began our venture to the exit. Minutes later... Minutes later, Shining and I arrived outside. At the same time, Princess Twilight was just getting off her chariot. Her mane looked a bit unkempt. And was she... twitching? "Twily?" Shining raised his brow at the state his sister was in. "Hey, Shining! Hey Cadance... I can call you Cadance, right?" Twilight said in a quick pace. "Are you okay?" I ask. "Oh, I'm fine," Twilight replied, still speaking kind of fast. "Listen, I'm sorry for not explaining much to you and having you care for the family and kingdom! I was skeptical of you back then, I barely knew you, and I was running out of time before I could go back to my Princess duties! So when I wasn't doing my daytime or nightime duties, I would research that object that brought you in this mess in the first place! And everytime I got tired, I'd drink six cups of coffee!" Well. That explains her current state. But why six cups? Something tells me her Twilighting resurfaced... Her right hind leg started to thump on the ground. "And then I tried to ask Discord for help, but then he told me that his magic somehow vanished!" Wait... what? "So I kept researching for any way to help you, and I haven't come out victorious yet!" "So... why come here?" Shining questioned. "To apologize!" Twilight grinned. "Alright, let's take you inside..." I muttered. "But why?!" "I agree with Cadance... wow, what should we call you?" questioned Shining before he stepped forward and wrapped his hoof around Twilight. He began to lead us inside. "Anyway, come on inside, and we can settle things down." Inside... After the tough process of getting Twilight to snap out of it (we yelled at her, splashed water on her, Shining even tried to give her decaf), she eventually calmed down. "In all seriousness, I really wasn't thinking straight when putting you in this situation," Twilight says. "I probably should have came at a time where I wasn't out of time to go do something, and I also should have learned about you a bit more." "Whether I should forgive you or not is on the cards..." I reply. "But at least you're coming to your senses. Though, when I had to give a ten-second speech, I felt like I wasn't the one doing it. It felt like I was being controlled." "Interesting..." Twilight rubbed her chin. Her eyes went wide. "Have you... ever spoke to the real Cadance? In your head, or anywhere?" I sighed. "Once. The night you approached me. After you left, my shadow gained a life of its own... it became Princess Cadance! It was her." "Wait. Is she here now?" Shining asked. I shook my head. "She only comes out at night. Though I guess today is an example that she still shows herself during the day." Suddenly, with a whiff of green flames, a scroll suddenly appeared and landed on the crystal floor. "What's that?" Shining asked. "It's from Spike..." Twilight opened the scroll. For a few seconds, she read it, before she gasped. "Oh no... I have to get back to Canterlot right away!" "What? What happened?" I queried. Twilight sighed. "Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, and Cozy Glow broke out of their stone prison."