Canterlot was shrouded in darkness, a kind of darkness that differentiated from the cold evil that plagued the Crystal Kingdom miles away. This darkness was pure, inviting, beautiful. It was a kind of darkness woven by the soft, graceful touch of a goddess. One that told everypony that even though the warmth of day was gone, the beauty of the night was still there to comfort them.
The creator of this tapestry of light strolled through her castle as she usually did, looking absolutely bored. There was never much to do in the wee hours of the morning, other than talk with the members of her elite Dawn Guards. Her sister was already asleep, and Luna knew all too well the terrors that would follow should Celestia awake from her slumber. So, seeing as though there was nothing else to do, Luna wandered about aimlessly.
She soon came across a doorway that was strangely left open. It led into a spiraling staircase, which ascended into one of the tallest spires in the castle. Curious, the princess of the night slipped through the door, quietly climbing up the stairwell. Who could possibly be up here?, Princess Luna thought, carefully making her way up the dimly lit tower.
Finally, she made her way to the top, where a door was propped open. There, she found a slim figure standing out on the balcony, her front hooves planted in the railing as she looked out at the land below. In the dim light, the pink alicorn looked so small and young, but her face was racked with enough worry for an eternity. Her glistening eyes showed that she had been crying. The figure whispered sadly, in a dialect unknown to Luna, “Maledire questa oscurità. Mio regno…”
Luna said softly, “Cadance? What art thou doing up here?”
Her niece jumped a little, and she wiped her eyes and hastily levitated a book towards her face. Covering her face, Cadance replied, “Zia…I mean, Auntie! I was…reading. Translating this thing.”
“Up here? At midnight, in the dark, with the cold wind?” the older alicorn replied. She made her way to her niece, a concerned look on her face. She placed her hoof on the floating book and slowly brought it down, revealing an innocent face wracked with tears.
“Cadance…thou were never a good liar,” Luna said, trying to make a joke. Seeing as though Cadance was still frowning, she placed her hoof fondly on her niece’s shoulder and whispered, “I can sense something is on your mind.”
The love princess slinked away from her aunt, moving back to her position by the balcony. She stared out at not just Canterlot, but the entire kingdom of Equestria. She took in the infinite expanse of land before her, the breath-taking view mingled with the dazzling stars in sky. From the Badlands to the forests to the spot where the horizon touched the sky, it was a sight that could be summed up with one word. Amazing. Everything seemed so tranquil, so happy. And yet…Princess Cadance knew it was too good to be true.
It took Cadance a while to realize her aunt was standing right beside her. Luna said, “What is wrong, Cadenza? You can tell me.”
Not even daring to glance away from the view as though it could disappear, the pink alicorn began, “Remember when I was younger, auntie?” Her eyes lit up as though she had mentioned something she shouldn’t have. Realizing Princess Luna had only been back for a few years, she apologized, “Oh, I’m sorry. I-I had forgotten…”
But the night princess showed no sign of animosity. Waving her hoof benevolently, she responded, “'Tis alright, my beloved niece. That is…old news. Please, continue.”
Hearing this, Cadance went back towards the open world. She turned her gaze to that sky as she began to reminisce about days long gone. Days when there was no worries, no cares. Days of an innocence now lost. “Well auntie, I was sent here to learn how to rule a kingdom. I was the newest in line of rulers, and ponies had very high expectations of me. But I was so scared. The responsibility of having thousands under your care, not to mention trying to make them like you; it was too much for a young teen to take in. Heck, I could barely organize a bed, much less a kingdom.”
She gave a fond smile, shaking her head sadly. “One day, Auntie Tia realized I had skipped out on the day’s lesson. I probably should have known better than to try and hide from a goddess, but you know, I was a...bambina. She found me hiding in my room, under some covers. But for some strange reason, she wasn’t mad.”
“Instead, Auntie Tia took me up to this very spot, and she showed me this…this amazing view. And she stretched her hoof towards the horizon and said, ‘Do you see everything, Cadance? Everything here, Canterlot, Ponyville, even the Everfree forest…this is my land. And this is yours too.’” The pink alicorn mimicked Celestia’s movements, stretching her hoof towards the grand kingdom below.
“‘Someday, you will have a kingdom much like this one. And I know that, right now, it must be terrifying to have such a responsibility weighing down upon you. But I want you to know, that this is not a burden, but a blessing. And someday, just like me, you will look down upon the smiling faces of your subjects, and you will realize that…you love it.’” Cadance let those final words trail off, remembering Celestia’s warmth. She realized she was on the verge of tears, and furiously began to wipe her eyes, trying to remain composed.
But in the end, even almighty alicorns have to cry.
A single tear began to flow down her cheek, threatening to become a steady stream. But nonetheless, Cadence continued to speak, “I…I believed her. And you know what? She was right. And that’s why it makes this so hard. I’ve treated the crystal ponies like they were my own kin. And to see them swallowed up…is like watching your entire family die.”
With her voice picking up in intensity, Cadance continued, “I don’t know where my husband is, and I cannot do anything about it. All I can do is pray that he is still alive. Sitting here, reading this cursed book of evil as my kingdom crumbles hundreds of miles away…I’ve never felt so useless in all my life. I’m like a princess waiting hopelessly for her knight to come and save her. And that…Dannazione! That is not who I want to be!”
She buried her face in her legs, resting against the stone balcony. With a voice that held utter despair, Cadance whispered, “Without Shining Armor, without my loyal subjects…I’m nothing.”
Princess Luna gently brushed her niece’s head as though she were her own child. Cadance’s quiet sobs were the only sounds atop that dark balcony. The moon goddess could not help but feel for the poor alicorn. Cadance has never witnessed a tragedy like this before, not like Celestia and she had. Seeing her niece like this…was too much to bear.
Finally, once Cadance’s crying had died down, Luna whispered, “My dearest niece…I suppose I am not the best at comforting ponies, but umm…”
After contemplating her words for a moment, Luna started, “I hath ruled this kingdom for almost as long as Celestia. I hath faced disaster upon disaster befall this kingdom. And what is worse…I became one myself. And I hath learned this; thy subjects you speak of are much more resiliant than one might think. And in the end, somehow things manage to work out. Rebuild. Prosper. Dark times never last for long.”
Princess Cadance raised her head to look at her aunt’s dark blue eyes, which shone with compassion. “Do not mistake thy love for your subjects as a sign of weakness. It was thy love that dispelled the Changelings and saved Canterlot. It was thy love that prompted you to come here, to find the Elements, and devise a plan to save your kingdom. So do not ever think that you are powerless. You are a Royal Alicorn. We are resilient, we are noble, we are powerful, and we will do everything we can to protect our subjects.”
Still stroking Cadance’s colorful mane, Luna added, “Besides, you are not as alone as you might think. You have my sister and I to guide you, and you still have six loyal servants willing to do anything to help you. Perhaps they need some time to mesh, but I am certain those ponies will succeed. After all, the power of love can vanquish anything, yes?”
With the barest hint of a smile, Cadance whispered, “Yes.” But then she continued, “But…my husband. He’s still out there somewhere, and the shadow still roams free.”
The night princess held her niece’s hoof tightly, giving her the most assuring smile she could muster. “Do not worry for thy husband, Cadance. He did not become the captain of the Royal Guard because he was another handsome face. He is a leader, and possesses a bold spirit. I am sure he hath led the survivors someplace safe. I am also sure that he worries for you just as you worry for him. But for now, you, Celestia and I have a job to do here.”
Sniffling, the pink alicorn finally got up from her position on the balcony. Wiping away the last of her tears, she stood regally next to her relative and said gently, “Thanks Auntie Luna. That…actually made me feel a bit better. But I still wish I could be doing something.”
“Well why don’t we start translating that tome?” Princess Luna replied, levitating the Tenebris Magicae towards her. “Perhaps then we can devise a plan.”
Cadance gave a polite nod, and Princess Luna shuffled through the door, beginning her descent. The pink alicorn was extremely grateful for her aunt’s loving words, she really was. And she supposed it did make her feel loads better. But despite this, Cadance couldn’t shake the anxiety deep in the pit of her stomach. Not with her husband still out there.
Giving one last glance outside, Princess Cadance thought, Il mio amore…Mi manchi…I miss you…
Consider this interlude the end of Act 1! Act 2 is sure to have more action, secrets, bagels, and even more stuff that I'm not allowed to spoil! So if you want to find out what happens next, you'll just have to stay tuned!
Next time...on the Elements of Love.....