I followed the Princess of Love to a different part of the Crystal Castle that contained the areas where her and her family resided. When we went upstairs, it was more akin to a normal house with sleek hardwood floors, a beautiful living room, a wide kitchen, and bedrooms towards the back.
“First thing’s first,” she said to me, “You’re going to relax as our houseguest. But I have something to show you.”
“Hm?” She levitated a piece of gold-trimmed fabric with the letter ‘E’ on it into my hoof.
“One of our crystal guards found it near the place where the griffons were located. I figured you would have an inkling as to what it could mean. I sure don’t.”
I inspected it, and blinked. I knew just what this was and placed it into an evidence bag immediately. The conspiracy was getting thicker. “I...thank you. I think I know just what needs to be done with this.”
“Alrighty. I’ll get started on dinner. Shining is in his personal little garage.”
I raised a brow, “Oh?”
She giggled, “It’s a stallion thing. You’ll understand when you get there.” And she went into the kitchen.
I shrugged and went through the living room. I saw Flurry Heart on the couch playing another one of those strange video games but apparently she was able to talk to people through it?
“Motherbucker! I told you to capture B!”
“Language, Flurry,” her mother warned from the kitchen.
I chuckled and went through a nearby door. It led me to a massive room that was soundproof and filled with a myriad of block-based models and creations. To my left, I could see the Crystal Castle in a replica made entirely out of extremely small toy bricks. Insanity. I couldn’t imagine spending that much time on a project.
Over in the corner at the end of the room, the white unicorn prince was busy. He used his magic to carefully put another block in place. Looked like it was the city of Manehattan he was building. “Wow...you even have Madison Mare Garden done accurately.”
“Ah!” He nearly fell off his seat, “Did Cadance let you in here?”
I nodded. “Yes...is that a problem?”
He sighed. I suppose this room was meant to be a private space that he normally didn’t allow others into. But at the request of his wife, he had no choice. “Not at all. Listen...I want to formally apologize. I’ve been extremely strict with the defensive stance of my home and have been trying to find and stop threats before they can come up,” he turned and resumed work on his miniature brick city. “I initially assumed you were a threat and went too far.”
I couldn’t help but feel a bit of respect for his efforts, even though I disagreed with his methods entirely. “I see...well, you’re certainly not a father who neglects his family, I can say that much.”
“Spare me the compliments, I know that I went overboard,” he said with a roll of his eyes, “to be quite honest I’ve felt...utterly compelled to get something right. To make myself more significant in the eyes of my wife and kid.” He turned to face me again, “Imagine being related to not one, not two, but five extremely powerful alicorns. All of whom have saved the world.”
It took me a moment, but I nearly forgot that Cadance was adopted as Celestia’s niece. Which in turn, did make Shining Armor related to every alicorn that currently existed. On one hoof, I figured that this would be the dream of anypony, but on the other...yeah I could see how that would cause a case of inadequacy within oneself. “Oh...let me guess. You feel rather insignificant by comparison.”
He snorted. “Blunt, but true. I don’t want to simply be seen as ‘the husband of princess Cadance’ or ‘the brother of Twilight Sparkle’. I want to be seen as a stallion that does everything he can to keep his family safe. One that doesn’t simply lie back and rely on the overwhelming power of the alicorns in his family.”
Ouch. I felt that. I couldn’t really relate since I obviously didn’t have alicorns in my family, but it wasn’t that hard to imagine being outclassed in every way by those around you. That’s why I fought like a bloody mess back in the days of my youth--to prove that I was the best. “I get it...so you take the time to defend Equestria whenever you can. Crazy, but I understand the perspective. Although, you really should be more tactical in your approach.”
“Yeah...subtlety is not my strong suit as you can probably tell. But I’m working on improving it. At least with Flurry Heart being a bit older, I can relax and focus on my little projects for a change. Cadance was always saying I needed a hobby…”
I looked around. There were a few more miniature brick models on the nearby shelves. One of himself and his wife, one of his daughter, one of Canterlot Castle, and another of the Everfree Forest. His patience was certainly improving just from what I could see. I wouldn’t last ten minutes in an effort to put together something on that level. “Well you’ve certainly made yourself busy. If there’s nothing else you needed of me, then I’ll leave you be.”
“Wait a second. Before you go, there’s one more thing I need to know...just why do you want to give Cozy Glow another chance?”
I didn’t expect him to bring the topic back up. But given that he was no longer driven by emotion, it would be a much easier conversation to hold. “In short: I feel as though there wasn’t a proper amount of intervention to stop her descent into madness. If someone had been there to show her why her actions were wrong, instead of throwing her aside...she may have learned something.”
His ears dropped, “I see...do you think it’s possible that she could’ve been reformed before she was sent to Tartarus?”
“That, I don’t know. I wasn’t personally there to witness the events so I only have a basic look into her psychology. In short, she exhibited the traits of a sociopath before she was sent away. So easily able to toss away her bonds for the sake of power and not care. However, I believe it’s because she was abandoned.”
“I see...take a seat if you want, sir,” he offered, so I did. I sat on a nearby stool with my notes ready. “And I understand your idea here. But a counterpoint would be that someone like that is unfixable. It’d be a waste of time to try because the capacity for her to do it all over again is too great. Do you get what I’m saying?”
I nodded. “Yes...I’m fully aware.”
He focused hard with his magic as he snapped another brick into place, “It would be extremely difficult to convince Twilight that it’d be a good idea for multiple reasons. For one, a threat to all magic like that caused extreme amounts of damage that took a long time to recover from.”
I had a hunch in regards to what he meant, but I wanted to hear his full thoughts. “Mind elaborating?”
“Well, by getting rid of everyone’s magic, it caused the weather factory where clouds are made to shut down. The weather was extremely hot for days on end without the Pegasus ponies able to regulate the weather. Beyond that, it was harder for Earth Pony farmers to grow food, which resulted in damage to our food supply,” he levitated a bottle of glue, “Then combine that with the inability to defend ourselves from other threats like the Wendigos due to each pony race hating each other, it wouldn’t have been long before a complete war broke out.”
I scribbled my notes down. Shining was a very cordial and well-spoken stallion when it came to military affairs. Made sense as a former Royal Guard Captain, after all. That is, when he wasn’t driven by his protective nature as a family man. “I see…”
“I’m just saying, whether you like it or not, we had reason to put her away. I know it hurts because she was a filly--and trust me, it hurt me too. Had it been my daughter in that position, I…” He closed his eyes momentarily, and was unable to answer his own thought, “Listen...as current standing ruler Empire territory, which was directly affected by Cozy Glow’s actions, I want you to know that you need to present a good case to my sister to even have a chance of listening.”
I stopped writing. “Is that so? Is she not the type to listen to such complicated requests.”
“Oh no. In fact, I think her opinion is going to matter far more than my own. But as Sunburst mentioned, you need to prove that this is something worth pursuing. Because as it is, everypony has put the situation behind them. Moved on with their lives. We’re all living in a time where peace is common instead of the exception. And when you suggest something like this...it’s going to incite the wrath of those who disagree.”
“I’m aware. That’s why I’ve spent lots of time. Researching and studying in order to make a proper case for her.”
“I hope you’re right,” the prince placed his Manehattan model on a nearby shelf, and levitated another box onto the desk in front of him, “Because I’m sure you’re also aware of just how tricky she can be.”
I nodded. “Yes...I’ve read up on what she has done.”
“Enemy or no, her tactics were nothing short of genius for someone so young,” he stopped and put his hoof to his chin as he recounted the details of what the filly accomplished. “She infiltrated the school and gained loads of friends that she quickly turned her back on in order to make Neighsay look worse, then she managed to defeat an entire unit of the Royal Guard, outsmarted the princesses and managed to steal their magic, successfully got Chrysalis and Tirek to work together in order to divide the pony races, tricked them into stealing Discord’s Chaos Code Magic, and became the strongest being in existence…” he turned to face me again, “I’m sure you understand just why we not only sent her to Tartarus initially, but cast her to stone as well later. Someone that dangerous and able to cause a whole war on their own...it’s just impossible.”
I hid my face beneath my hat for a second. The unicorn was correct. She was a warhead just waiting to go off. At this point, I had to accept that her initial punishment was probably justified, as much as I disagreed with it. “Yeah, I see your point.”
“And don’t get me wrong, it’s not like that’s something we wanted to do. It’s something we had to do. In order to protect everyone.”
“Indeed...but is it possible--just humor me for a second,” I looked up, “possible that she may have learned something during her time imprisoned in stone?”
“That, I can’t answer. But if she had the capacity to be just as devious as Tirek and Chrysalis, then I’m afraid I can’t agree with that. It’s possible that, even now, she plots her revenge in order to somehow escape her prison. Or worse--it’s also entirely possible that she’s reliant on the fact that someone will break her out so she can fake her way through a redemption process in order to start up something all over again. Have you ever considered that, Pale?”
“I have,” I answered slowly. There wasn’t much I could offer besides my words as there was no definitive way to prove Cozy had changed. At least, not now. “But I’m afraid, it’s all I have for the moment. I get that the punishment may have been warranted, but...I don’t know. I still feel that there is a chance she’s changed.”
Now he had gotten out the tools to put together a birdhouse. “I respect your opinion, but I don’t think it’s likely. I won’t stop you from thinking that way, but like Sunburst said, just be careful. You don’t want to start a massive conflict over a controversial opinion. That’s happened enough already.”
“Okay...then what would you recommend that I do next?”
“Well, if I were you, I would’ve dropped this a while ago,” he said while he put on some goggles and got a hammer out, “but since you seem so keen on presenting a case, here’s what I would do if I were in your horseshoes: #1. Prove that you can be trusted.”
“Go on?”
“As I said before, I apologize for lashing out at you. The only reason why I did that is because I didn’t know who you were. For all I knew, you could’ve been trying to destroy my family. Though, I can see that’s no longer the case.” He started to work on the nails and hammer in the sides of the birdhouse, “But you need to prove that you’re somepony that can be relied on for his word. Someone who can be trusted to watch over Cozy Glow if she is given a second chance.”
I nodded. That was a good point. Given the...awkward nature of my past. It would be an uphill battle to prove that who I was back then did not define who I was now, and that Cozy Glow could be looked at in the same way. “Understood. Next?”
“#2. Call for a trial. A public gathering would need to take place in order to weigh the consequences of those actions. This goes for both the Empire and the Kingdom. Though, for obvious reasons I recommend letting Twilight watch over the trial since she would be unbiased.”
“Right...anything else?”
“#3. The most important one: Take responsibility. Whatever happens from that moment on will be a result of what you brought forth for the public to hear. You will need to shoulder the weight of those actions to show that you aren’t willing to shy away when things get difficult.”
That was obvious. But very shrewd as well. If the public saw an individual as honest, it would soften the blow should a mistake be made. After all, we were only living beings. None of us were perfect. “Alright...I think I know what I need to do.”
“I’m not done,” he stopped building the birdhouse halfway through. “With all of that aside, I’m going to need your assistance.”
“Oh?”
He pointed to the map of Equestria he had placed on the wall behind him. “You’re aware of how the Crystal Guards came to see you in Manehattan, right? Well, the Empire manages affairs that take place in the Northern regions of Equestria while Canterlot manages the Southern,” he levitated a pointer to tap a specific location on the map, “From what we’ve gathered in Manehattan, something is going to occur in Hollow Shades within three days. Something to do with the griffons and that shard you brought us.”
That was indeed how things went, though not many folks realized due to political classes being the ones that are most often slept through. True story. I gave a nod, “Right. That’s how the management of the territories are split. Hollow Shades is one of those territories...and this map isn’t to scale.”
“Right. Given that you were involved and that my wife has called me out for my actions.”
We heard her voice through the walls, “Ahem.”
He sighed, and added some details. “My foolish and bone-headed actions which include getting mad at you without proper evidence. I’m going to set you free with an objective: Find out what’s going on with the griffons at Hollow Shades. Can you do that for us?”
I shook my head. “Don’t get mad at yourself. If I were you, my reactions would’ve been similar if I were a father.”
Hollow Shades. It was my intention to head to that place at some point. For the sake of Neon especially. What with my position on this proverbial card table, I had to make a play that resulted in the best possible outcome. Not just for myself, but for everyone. “I’m in. With backup ready to roll, I’ll be able to head out soon.”
“Alright, perfect. And one last thing.”
“Hm?”
He put his hooves together and pleaded, “Please for the love of Twilight, do not insult Cadance’s cooking. It’s an acquired taste that you’ll get used to, I swear.”
Right. There was no possible way that the alicorn or anyone else could create a dish that was inedible given that I used to dig through garbage cans on the streets of Manehattan. “...sure, no problem,” I responded with a shrug much to his relief.
I had no clue what his deal was. What his wife made was delicious. Granted, like I mentioned, my standards for what was a quality meal were very skewed, but even so. I couldn’t fathom why he was so afraid of Cadance stepping hoof in the kitchen. It was clear she knew what she was doing and their daughter picked up on it well enough.
“This veggie pasta is amazing!” I proclaimed after the first bite, much to the shock of the prince, “The way the seasonings mix with the white sauce is perfection. The use of penne is a good choice too. Ravioli and fettuccine are so overly commonplace in pasta dishes.”
“Oh?” The pink alicorn tilted her head, “Are you an expert on pastas from Bitaly?”
Ah the land of pasta, amazing art, and that wonderful leaning tower. “Somewhat. Many of the ponies in Manehattan came from there and it was common to come across pasta dishes. I think...isn’t your full name--Amore Cadenza--that’s Bitalian too? Is that why you’ve taken an interest in these dishes lately?”
“Precisely, good guess!” she said with a clap of her hooves. “Would you like some more?”
I nodded, “Yes, please.”
As the alicorn left for the kitchen, her husband whispered to me. “...are your taste buds functional?”
I turned my head towards him. “No offense, but growing up in Canterlot and becoming captain of the guard would naturally net you better food than someone born in the messy slums of Manehattan like myself. Imagine having to dig out of the trash for your next meal…”
Oops. Guess I let a personal detail slip. And it was a bit awkward since he didn’t really know how to respond to what I said for a moment. “I...sorry. I didn’t realize it was that bad over there. We should do something about that.”
Flurry suddenly spoke from her end of the table. “Ooh! What if we put some money towards making better homes near the Haylem area. I hear it’s pretty messy down there.”
“That’s...not a bad idea, Flurry. But it’s not so simple. I’d have to speak with your mother, then get the Mayor of Manehattan’s approval, sign the contracts--oh. Sorry, sir. Didn’t mean to ignore you.”
I shook my head, “It’s fine. In fact, I grew up near Haylem. It could certainly use a fix or two. But that aside, yes. Your wife’s cooking is delicious.”
“Maybe your taste buds are going soft, dad,” Flurry poked fun at her father.
“They are not,” he replied, only to feel his tongue with his hoof, “Thee? I can taste just fine!”
Cadance walked back into the room, levitating the pot of pasta. “...Okay what did I just walk into?” she giggled at the sight of Shining as he dumped salt onto his tongue.
He retracted it, and coughed, “Ah! Ahem...nothing, honey. We’re just talking about the state of Manehattan.”
“Oh? Go on?”
It was a nice experience, to understand the Royal Family a bit more. Even if they acted nothing like royals. No servants, no chefs, no ponies that did everything for them. They were just your average family, and I couldn’t help but feel joy at experiencing who they truly were as individuals.
After the meal, I bid them goodbye, but Flurry Heart decided to walk me out. In truth, it was so she could have a chance to speak with me away from her parents.
“Hey, before you go…”
“Hm?”
“I just wanna tell you that if you choose to start a formal trial over Cozy, don’t be concerned.”
I raised an eyebrow. Just what could this youngster have in mind? “Why is that?”
She simply giggled as she opened the door for me, “You’ll see. I don’t care if I get grounded. I know I can help save that girl.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, now.” I replied with a steely gaze, “Your father has good points regarding her imprisonment. They had a valid reason to put her away, as much as I don’t like it. This won’t be an easy battle.”
“I know...but I’m ready to start tackling more complex issues,” she stated in a rather serious tone, “as a princess--nay, as a pony, it’s my duty to find the good in others. Even if they are beyond saving, I know that everyone has a shred of sensitivity in their hearts. We all care about something, no matter who we are. And it’s up to me to pinpoint that aspect of one’s character, and help them help themselves.”
I was surprised. A youngling such as her with such keen insight on the function of the brain and emotions? Yet in a more tactical sense. Clearly these were aspects of her father and mother that were combined. They raised this child well. “Heh...I respect that. You’ll make a fine ruler one day.”
“Thank you, sir. Oh and...was mom’s food okay?”
I laughed, “Haha! It was great. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t tell a lie about that.”
“Oh good...that means her nose still works. One time she put cinnamon instead of pepper in a casserole.”
“Oh no…” I dreaded the thought of such a dish with a shudder.
She gave a similar reaction as well, “Eguuuggh, yeah. But I know that she’s getting better from an outside source now.”
“Glad I could be of help,” I tipped my hat, “I’m going to see my fellow Agent friends that are stationed here in the Empire. Whatever’s going on in Hollow Shades, we’ll handle it.”
“Alrighty. I need to go make sure my dad isn’t throwing up again. Hope he wasn’t mean to you.”
I shook my head, “Nope. He’s a respectable stallion who does his job. Don’t be so hard on him, yeah?” And I took my leave with a wave at the young alicorn.
First, I would deliver that money to the local orphanage. The faces of the young crystal foals were unforgettable as the orphanage’s manager mare opened the chest. It earned me lots of grateful praise that was embarrassing to say the least. It wasn’t my donation at all. However, given that Sombra wasn’t around, I would dutifully shoulder this burden for him. Heh...what an odd feeling.
“Thank you so much, sir!” a colt chirped.
“Someday, I wanna grow up and pay back this act of kindness,” shouted a filly.
“This is the most we’ve ever gotten! We won’t have to worry about food for the next few years!” another filly yelled.
The crystal foals were overjoyed. I simply gave the most awkward smile I could muster. The idea of dealing with children was not something I found pleasant. But for those few moments...I did feel at ease. Even the mare behind the desk was in tears. “Nopony has ever donated this much! Bless you, kind sir!”
I tipped my hat, “It was nothing…really.”
“Oh no, it means everything to us!” the yellow crystal mare with a brown mane said to me, “My family has run this place for generations! But nopony has ever donated this much before!”
“Heh...well, don’t mention it, please--” I said before getting interrupted. The mare behind the counter foisted her hospitality onto me with a gift.
“Here, take this!” she offered me a black T-shirt with the phrase ‘I Heart Crystals’ on it. The heart and crystals were represented by images of the respective items. “What’s your name?”
“...Pale Vestige.” Normally, I’d refuse. But with the foals watching, I knew I couldn’t. It was important to set an example in gratefulness. So I accepted it with a gracious smile. “Uhhh...thank you, miss. Now, I have to get going. I hope you all have a wonderful day, and find homes soon.”
With cheerful smiles, they all bid goodbye as I left. I noticed the mare scribble something down behind her desk, but it wasn’t important. I exhaled as soon as I closed the door. “Whew...they’re so hospitable. It’s almost painful.”
I folded the shirt and tucked it into my vest. I blinked, and saw a familiar gray unicorn stallion out of the corner of my eye. “...Huh?”
“Thank you…”
I knew just who it was, and smiled. “No matter what’s happened these last few thousand years, in these last moments, you were a true King to me.”
The next time I blinked, he would disappear. As if he was never there...but I knew.
Shadows don’t fade away.
With a confident smile, I was on the move. My next stop would be the pop-rock candy store. At least, that’s what the average Crystal Pony knew it as. This is where Flash Drive and Guttersnipe were both located. Surely, they would be able to aid me on my mission. If I succeed here, I will have hopefully ended a conflict and get that much closer to presenting a case to the Princess. But that last patch with the letter ‘E’ on it that Cadance gave me. Could it very well be...
Hmph. No turning back now.