20- An unintended Leak
I was left speechless, literally. I could not form any coherent sentences. Cadence and Shining were here! The ponies I had metaphorically and ironically ‘fallen in love with’ at the first sight. I don’t know why or how but every moment that contained either one of them always had me captivated. It confused me and everyone of my fellow bronies why I liked these two so much. But hey, I guess I was just ‘built different’ compared to them.
Anyway with my brain still in a daze from the earlier binge reading and then seeing these two before me my brain basically blue-screened and had to completely reboot. This did not go unnoticed by the pair as they glanced at each other nervously whilst I lay there with wide eyes, my slitted eyes flicking between the two every few seconds.
"Uhh, Cadie? I think you broke her.” Began Shining Armor breaking the silence that had fallen upon the hospital room.
His comment broke me out of my fatal systems error as I shook my head slightly to remove the last of my daze.
"Uhhh, nope I’m...uhh fine. Just was not expecting visitors. Least of all you two to walk through the door. Name’s Jolyne by the way.” I say, nervousness prevalent in my voice. Cadence giggled at my answer.
"Yes, having a pretty pink princess walk through your door tends to have that effect.” She said with a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yes… Pink…" I answered without realizing it as I looked at the very pink princess sitting next to me. She was Incredibly pink. Comically so. With her pink and golden mane. A pink flowing dress with golden accents similar to the white one Celestia wore. Even her eyes were pink. You don‘t tend to notice these things when you watch it on the show. But lying there and seeing this comically pink anthro version of your favorite character really makes you notice.
"Oh don‘t look at me like that. Pink is my favorite color and I own up to it, little Jolie. Nopony can pull it off as I can. Ain‘t that right shiny?" She exclaims in a mock pout looking towards her husband. He in turn chuckled and shook his head in response.
"Of course honey. Nopony in all of Equestria can pull off that color as well as you can." He answers in mock exacerbation
"Darn right, nopony can!" Answered the pretty pink princess with so much mock force and determination that I couldn‘t help but laugh along slightly with Shining Armor at his wife’s antics. Cadence joined in shortly afterward after several seconds of holding her determination. Once our laughter had died down I began speaking.
"Oh wow… I needed that laugh. Thank you. Now, what can I help you two with? It’s not everyday you get two new royal visitors. What can little Jolyne help you with?"
The two of them briefly glanced at one another before Cadence answered.
"Well, we… Just wanted to meet you for ourselves. Meet our newest cousin and see how they're doing in this, no doubt, drab hospital. How are you doing by the way? Those bandages do not look comfortable."
"Oh trust me, they aren't. But otherwise, I‘m doing… fine I guess. Hurts a lot less than before that’s for sure. Being stuck in this bed though is getting tiring… Especially being nothing but a burden on everyone around me."
"Oh, sweety." She moved to hold my hand, I didn't stop her. "You’re not a burden"
"No, I am. I have been nothing but trouble." I move to look her in the eyes, a fire burning behind them. "And I hate that. I am a grown woman for Christ's sake. Yet here I am" I say gesturing towards the room we were in. "Stuck in a hospital because some stupid vine caused me to fall and damage that stupid ring and have, what I have been told was, one hell of a magical surge. Not to mention what… She… did to me at first sight. Hell, now that I think about it, only Spike, Celestia, and the two of you were the only ones not to instantly attack me on sight. Well… The guards as well but I think that's thanks to Celestia.
"So yes, unfortunately, Cadence, I have been nothing but a massive pain for everyone involved. And I personally cannot wait for Celestia to get me back home so I can get out of your hair Permanently. Hopefully, after my legs are back in working order."
"W-well that was…interesting to hear Jolyne."
"Look. I have nothing against you two it’s just… this whole situation is starting to get to me y‘know? A girl's patience can only last so long. Plus I doubt this body is doing me any favors in that regard."
"I think this whole situation is getting to all of us, Jolyne, " She said, glancing slightly at Shining before resuming eye contact with me. "Some just more than others. Just hold on Jolyne, everything will work out we‘ll make sure of it. It's why we‘re here after all."
That brought up another question. "Why are you here anyway? In Canterlot I mean. Surely you’re needed in the Empire more than here right?”
"W-well after what we saw we needed to see how we could help in any way we could.”
"Wow, the vines were really that bad?”
"Vines? Oh yes, the Plundervines! They really did a number on Equestria didn’t they Shiny?”
"Yeah, they did. The Sun and the Moon were in the sky at the same time if you can believe that. If something like that could happen we needed to see how we could help Equestria recover.”
"Oh wow… well don’t waste your time here go and help Equestria they need you way more than I need the company.”
"Thank you for the encouragement Jolyne but… are you sure you want us to leave? We can stay if you want.”
"Nah I’ll be fine. Brain is still a little fuzzy from my *ahem* binge reading so time will fly by no problem.” I say with a smile. This certainly surprised Cadence but she smiled soon afterward. I also just really want to have a happy dance that I got to meet you two I added mentally.
"Alright then.” She stood up and walked over to her husband who’s gaze had… changed? It was hard to tell but something was different about it but I just couldn't put my finger on it before it changed again. He smiled along with his wife, gave me a small nod, and left as Cadence followed shortly behind him after giving me a small wave.
I, naturally, waved and smiled back before they went out of sight and I followed their hoofsteps out the room. I heard the door open and…didn’t hear it close. The click wasn’t there. I was just about to speak up and tell them that I prefer my doors to be closed when I dance in excitement but…
"*Sigh* She doesn't know” I overheard through the slightly ajar door, my interest peaked. What didn’t I know? Well, a little eavesdropping wouldn't hurt, right?
"This makes our job harder. Heh as if it wasn't already complicated enough.”
The hell? Am… I the reason they came to Canterlot?
"What did you think of her shiny?”
"I… don’t really know to be honest. I expected to see a monster in sheep's clothing lying there, not a kid covered in bandages.”
"Shining!”
"What?! You can’t blame me for thinking that! She dropped the Sun on Equestria! A desert melted Cadie, melted! I have every right to be worried for the safety of the love of my life.”
…I did what?
"And now… I’m not sure what to think. She just seems…lost and could be a danger to us all.”
"Shining… I’m dangerous, you're dangerous, we are all dangerous… Do you know what I saw back in there? I saw a filly who’s caught up in a situation she has no control over. A filly whose only experience here has brought her nothing but pain and suffering. A filly who needs our help.”
"You didn't let me finish. After seeing her though, in the flesh and hearing her side of the story… I need to think this over Ca-"
That was the last thing I could make out as they got out of earshot leaving me to stare at the position of the door, ruminating on what I had overheard. To ruminate on what Shining had said.
I melted a desert?
I glanced up at the horn on my head nervously, its surface still contained behind the golden glow of Celestia’s containment spell.
I dropped the Sun on Equestria?
It didn't take a genius to figure out what he meant… to imagine what he had seen. After all, we Humans did the same almost 90 years ago now from my perspective.
I saw the orange glow of my Magic swirling underneath the crack on my horn. Its energies are seemingly barely contained inside the bony structure of my horn. Because of course, this situation couldn’t get any worse. I just had to have the equivalent of a nuclear warhead strapped on my forehead. And it had detonated… because of those vines… because I had hit my head. And now… now…
The last thing that went through my mind as I heard my heart-rate monitor skyrocket and my breathing became short and panicked as blackness crept around the corners of my vision was a saying.
I have become Death, the destroyer of worlds
I passed out, my mind filled with horrifying images of what I had done.