//------------------------------// // 21. Sleepless nights // Story: Wings of Tomorrow ~ Lament of the World // by Keeper of Jericho //------------------------------// Wings of Tomorrow Lament of the World 21. Sleepless nights The flames were everywhere, a sea of intolerable heat from which nopony could escape. A scathing inferno which nopony could survive. The sun and skies were sundered by pitch black smoke and ash, casting a shadow of doom and dread over the land. The city was burning, panicking ponies running through the streets, foals crying for their parents in mortal fear. The air was permeated with the stench of burnt flesh. Burnt and carbonized bodies of ponies littered the burning streets. And in the centre of it all, at the heart of this inferno, in the core of Equestria’s doom, she stood. The great, white alicorn, her face a horrendous, terrifying visage of pure wrath and all-consuming hatred, and her mane was made of pure flame. Her eyes glowed brighter than a thousand suns, making her appearance all the more frightening. The blazing inferno around her did not hurt or bother her in the least, for no flame could burn as hot as her wrath. Where she went all was incinerated, reduced to nought but ash, stallion, mare and foal alike. None could withstand her, none could stop her, and all he could do was watch as all he knew and held dear was consumed by fire. --- Shining Armour woke up with a start, his eyes wide and his heart beating wildly. His body was bathing in sweat and he was breathing fast, still terrified by the images from his nightmare. Even now, when he was awake, the visions haunted him, and the screams of ponies dying as they were burned alive still tormented him. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, trying to make the images fade. “Shining?” There was the rustling of fabric as something shifted next to him, and then Shining Armour felt a familiar pair of forelegs wrap around him. The touch finally made him realise that it had all been a dream, and that Equestria wasn’t burning. It was a calm and normal night, and he was in his own bed in his room in Canterlot Castle, with the love of his life worrying over him. Slowly, the stallion turned his head to look at his wife, who was staring back at him with obvious concern in her purple eyes. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was as beautiful as ever, or perhaps even more so, as her beautiful figure seemed to glow in the moonlight that fell through a slit between the curtains of the window. It didn’t matter to him that her dark violet mane, with its moderate rose and pale gold streaks, was tousled due to sleep, or that the pink feathers of her graceful wings looked dishevelled for the same reason. She was still the most beautiful pony he had ever laid eyes upon, and he loved her more than anything. Her face was marred with worry and concern for her husband, and it touched him deeply. Far too many times had he woken her up during the night due to this nightmare that plagued him, but never once did her concern for his wellbeing lessen, or did her patience with him run out. She cared for him as much as he cared for her, even if he disturbed her dreams nearly every night with his own. Gently Cadance reached out with her forelegs, and she carefully pulled him down on the bed again with her. A soft tug of Shining Armour’s magic pulled the blanket, which had slipped off of them when he had sat up with a start, back over their tired bodies. Once they were surrounded by the warm safety of the blanket again, Cadance snuggled close to her husband and embraced him lovingly. Their faces turned towards each other’s, and their eyes met. The concern Shining Armour had seen previously in his wife’s eyes had not yet vanished. “Was it the nightmares again?” Cadance asked quietly, her voice but a mere whisper, every single one of her words laced with worry. An expression of sadness appeared on her face when she saw, even in the dim light of the moon, Shining Armour give a curt nod of confirmation. The alicorn let out a deep sigh and pressed her head under his chin, the strength of her embrace increasing ever so slightly. “It wasn’t real, Shining,” she whispered, and she tried her best to sound convincing. However, her efforts were in vain, for Cadance knew that her words rang hollow. It was true that all her beloved had dreamed wasn’t real, just as it was true that what haunted him was more than a simple nightmare. A normal nightmare didn’t come back nearly every night, year after year, for the entire length of your life. Her dear Shining Armour hadn’t known a peaceful slumber since his early childhood, when he had been naught but a new-born foal. These dreams he had weren’t nightmares, they were a warning. Cadance knew this much, but she wasn’t sure if her beloved had interpreted it correctly. Shining Armour was convinced that his nightmares warned him of what would happen should her aunt be freed. But what if he was wrong? What if it instead tried to warn him of what would happen if Celestia was never freed at all? She had no way of knowing, and she did not voice her doubts either, for her dear stallion was troubled enough as it was. Instead she supported him, by simply being there for him, loving him unconditionally with all her heart, and tried to soothe his fears and ease his sleep in whatever way she could. Shining Armour sighed, and Cadance could feel how tensed he was. She pushed herself up from the bed slightly, leaning on one of her forelegs, and then reached over her husband’s head to kiss his cheek. “My aunt would never do such a thing, Shining… She is not the monster the Republic makes her out to be. You know that,” she whispered as quietly as she could. Cadance knew they were alone and that Shining Armour’s bedroom was one of the safest places in the entire Republic, but still she did not want to risk any eavesdroppers accidentally hearing her voice support for her imprisoned aunt. There was little doubt that should that happen, she would quickly find herself in the dungeons to keep said aunt company. She rubbed her cheek affectionately against his and was glad when she felt him return her affections by kissing her neck. “Have some faith, Shining,” she pleaded. “Everything will turn out fine, we have to keep believing in that. We have to hang on to the Equestria we remember, and have faith that all the good it stood for will find its way in everypony’s hearts again. Even in aunt Celestia’s.” The white unicorn wrapped his forelegs around his wife and embraced her tightly, holding her very close to him as if he was afraid that she would vanish if he let go of her. “I’ve had, and always will have, faith in the Princess I remember,” Shining Armour whispered sadly. “But how much of that Princess is left after the past three centuries and a half?” Cadance didn’t like admitting it to herself, but she had pondered over the same question many times herself. It was an extremely valid and important question, after all, not to be cast aside heedlessly. Her aunt was one of the kindest, most wonderful ponies she had ever known, but how much of that kindness was there left in her after eons of being locked away in isolation? How much love was there left in the heart of one who hadn’t seen the daylight for over three centuries, and who breathed fresh air only once a year, when she was mocked and scorned by the very nation she had given everything to? It frightened her that the answer might be that there was none left at all, but she never once voiced these fears. Shining Armour was troubled enough with his own fears already, he didn’t need her fuelling his worries by adding her own on top of them. And so she pretended to be positive, for he needed his worries to be eased even if it was with lies. She nuzzled him lovingly and placed a kiss on his lips. “You worry too much, Shining,” she whispered kindly, while caressing his cheek with one of her hooves. The unicorn stallion sighed and took the hoof that was caressing him with one of his own. His sad, cerulean eyes looked into the purple ones of his wife. “If I don’t worry, nopony will, love,” he replied quietly. “The Nobles, my soldiers, the citizens, they all think that the way things are now is going to last forever. They’re all so confident that we’ll take over the kingdom before the year is over and that everything will be finished then, never realising that the greatest danger to our safety lies not in the kingdom, but right here in Canterlot, in the dungeons of the Royal Palace.” Shining Armour shook his head, feeling nothing but pity for his fellow ponies, unable to see the true danger because they were blinded by their own ignorance. “Cadance, if I don’t worry, then who will?” he asked the alicorn he had married. “The Nobles think they can hold the Princess captive forever, the Royalists think that if they free her that everything will go back the way it was. They’re fools, all of them, they’re too full of their ambition to think of anything else. So it’s up to me to worry, and to protect Equestria.” Cadance remained silent for a moment, content to simply stare at him, then she smiled and rolled herself on top of him. She looked down into his beautiful eyes. “Well, you won’t be able to protect anything if you’re not well-rested, darling,” she teased, before placing a kiss on his lips. “Even the great marshal Shining Armour needs his sleep, after all. Don’t forget you have a big meeting tomorrow.” The stallion underneath her groaned. “So I have,” he admitted with a sigh. “All because of that trice-damned parade.” He clenched his jaw, and Cadance could feel his muscles tighten with frustration underneath his skin. The pink alicorn on top of him absentmindedly played with his mane. “Does it bother you that much that the plans were stolen?” she idly asked, trying not to sound too curious. “Not really,” Shining Armour answered calmly, while rubbing the spot on her back between her wings, which caused her to purr in delight. “I didn’t think they’d be daring enough to do it, but I guess I shouldn’t have underestimated Rainbow Dash. It doesn’t matter though, we prepared an emergency strategy exactly for the event in which our plans became known to the royalists.” The marshal sighed again and rubbed his tired eyes with his hooves. “But there’s still something that’s bothering you. Something that happened on the night of the parade,” Cadance insisted, and she looked inquisitively in his eyes, her face marred with concern and worry. She caressed his muscular chest before placing a kiss on it. “Don’t lie to me, Shining, I know you.” Shining Armour didn’t immediately reply, and he turned his head aside to avoid the prying eyes of his wife. “It’s just… Maybe it was just my imagination, but I… I think I saw Twiley at the parade,” he finally answered, albeit reluctantly. His words earned him a soft gasp from Cadance, and her eyes became filled with sympathy. She knew how much it pained him to be at odds with his sister, and not a day went by when he didn’t think about that fateful evening when Twilight had ran away from home, never to return. She hadn’t even attended their wedding, though she had been invited. That had pained Cadance as much as it had her husband, for she had desperately wanted to see the lavender pony. She remembered Twilight, very well in fact, even if they hadn’t met yet in this life due to the shifts in time. It saddened her to know that the two siblings were at odds, and she had hoped that Twilight would attend the wedding so she could try to get the unicorn and her brother reconciled. Her hopes had been in vain, for Twilight had not come. “I try not to think about it…” Shining Armour continued, unaware of his wife’s musings. The stallion looked troubled and hurt. “Twiley hates the parade, she hasn’t gone to it since she was a filly, and I really doubt she’s changed her mind. And yet she was there this year, on the same night that Rainbow Dash stole the plans of the invasion.” Shining Armour winced. “I want to think that it’s just an unfortunate coincidence, but… what… what if…?” Cadance placed her left front hoof on his lips to silence him. “Shh, don’t say it,” she whispered soothingly. The alicorn realised what her beloved stallion had been implying, what worried him so, and it frightened her as well. She did not want to think about the possibility of Twilight, that sweet little filly who she loved to foalsit for so much, choosing a side in the most meaningless, pointless conflict in Equestria’s entire history. “I know Twilight is upset with you, but I cannot believe that she would fight her own brother,” Cadance continued, trying to sound optimistic and convincing. No easy feat, given that her words rang hollow even to her. “I’m sure it was just an unfortunate coincidence, Shining. She’s been living a quiet, peaceful life in Ponyville until now, why would she suddenly decide to give that up?” Shining Armour didn’t immediately reply, the expression on his face showing that he still felt torn about the matter. “I hope you’re right, love,” he finally said, and he sighed again. The stallion closed his eyes and relaxed somewhat as he felt the familiar hoof of his wife caress through his mane and rub his scalp gently. “I hope you’re right…” Seeing how tired her beloved stallion was, Cadance reached down and placed a kiss on his lips while she ran her hooves down his neck and shoulders to help him relax. The past few weeks Shining Armour had been under a lot of stress, as being marshal of the entire Republican Guard meant the preparations and development of the upcoming invasion fell entirely on his shoulders. It was a heavy duty, difficult enough to carry on its own, without worry for his younger sister being added on top of it. “You should try and catch some sleep now, my sweet stallion,” Cadance whispered in his ear, still massaging his shoulders to try and work the stress out of them. “You’ve been working so hard lately, while having little to no good rest to rejuvenate yourself. Please, try to let your troubles go for now and sleep. I’m worried for your health.” The stallion underneath her let out a soft groan of satisfaction as the skilled hooves of his wife worked the kinks out of his neck and shoulders. “Anything for you, my princess,” he replied, his eyes closed and his face bearing a small grin. Shining Armour opened his eyes and stared lovingly in those of Cadance. “Be patient a little while longer, love,” he said. “Once the civil war has ended, I’ll resign, just as I promised, and then I’ll take all the rest you want me to.” Cadance smiled warmly, touched by his words. She leaned in close until their lips were almost touching. “I’ll hold you to that,” she whispered lovingly, before closing the distance left between them and kissing her husband deeply. He returned it just as eagerly, and for a moment they were lost in their passion and love for each other. As they kissed, Cadance knew, as surely as the Sun would rise tomorrow, that she was in love with this stallion. Even a disruption in the flow of time had not been capable of keeping them apart, and she would have it no other way. Having him with her, at her side as her husband, made it all bearable. It gave her the strength to live through these days in which her status as Celestia’s niece earned her nothing but house arrest, sealed magic, distrust and scorn. It was all worth it simply for every moment she could spend with Shining Armour. The two lovers broke apart, after which Cadance allowed herself to roll off of her husband and back on the soft mattress of the bed. Shining Armour snuggled close to her, and she embraced him, holding him lovingly against her. Her chin rested on his head, and she caressed softly through the mane on his neck. Shining Armour sighed contently, his eyes closed again, and for the first time since his nightmare had awakened him, he appeared to be at peace and sleepy. “I love you, princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” he muttered quietly, while drowsiness began to cloud his senses. His words made the heart of his wife flutter, and she smiled. “And I love you, marshal Shining Armour,” she replied, whispering the words sweetly in his ear. The stallion gave a short grunt, to indicate that he had heard her, but did not speak or move anymore, content with letting sleep wash over him at last. Cadance kept gliding her hoof slowly through his blue mane while he drifted away, back to the domain of her late aunt. --- Later, long after Shining Armour had fallen asleep, Cadance still lay awake in their bed, her husband still clutched tenderly in her embrace. Her eyes stared at the moon through a gap between the curtains, while she listened to the sound of Shining Armour’s gentle, peaceful breathing. A few tears glistened in her eyes like tiny, perfect pearls. “Don’t worry, my love,” she said, even though there was none to hear her but the darkness in the room. Her eyes glanced down at her beloved stallion, and she smiled tearfully. “I am certain that Twilight will find it in her heart to forgive you, eventually.” Her tears flew more rapidly now as she openly wept, and she struggled to keep her sobs silent so as to not rouse her beloved from his slumber. When she regained her composure, her eyes drifted back to the moon, and she stared at it with an aching heart, as if hoping that the white sphere could somehow take away all of her troubles and burdens. “But will you find it in you to forgive me?” she wondered aloud. And though she had spoken the question quietly, with little more than a whisper, it still felt as if she had shouted them at the top of her lungs so all of Canterlot could hear her. All of Canterlot, save for Shining Armour, for he was asleep. End of chapter 21.