//------------------------------// // Spin 10 — "The love was shining through" — Princess Cadance — Day 1, late evening // Story: The Queen of the Dark Ch. I // by Forcalor //------------------------------// The forgotten old place was abandoned for years. ⠀ "I will wear your face~...- ⠀ She was being dragged across the stone floor by her leg. Completely undignified. Beaten. ⠀ -...they will not even notice you're gone~...- ⠀ On the fangs of the creature was her blood. She was drained, used. She couldn't muster a single spell. ⠀ -...your groom will love me, not you~...- ⠀ Her doppelganger looked at her, a distorted reflection. Its happy singing voice sounded like her own. ⠀ -...and after I deal with them, I'll come back for encore." ⠀ "Someone will save me... Someone will..." She trembled in darkness and cold for what felt like eons, being afraid for herself and for others. Then Twilight suddenly came, and being deceived by the creature, she almost blasted Cadance on sight. Twilight was so on edge, that Cadance managed to prove who she is only through their silly old dance. And everything was resolved. Her worst day became one of her best. It was an adventure, and they prevailed. But scars remained. She needed a few minutes to recollect herself. So she thought about love and fear. How deeply they are intertwined... Two emotions couldn't be more different, and yet they moved hoof in hoof. In many regards, love was about managing fear, as where fear reigned, love diminished. Just like love, fear came in innumerable forms. It could be fear of expectations, of relations, of loss, of trust, of vulnerability... and yet, despite all the ways to perceive it, love was always worth conquering fear. Always. Long ago Cadance had proven her worth by standing against someone who succumbed to fear. 'Prismia' she was called, the old and pitiful hag that lived alone on the outskirts of Cadance's hometown. Disillusioned by the world, submerged into loneliness and despair, she tried to do the unthinkable and leech all love from ponies for her own sake. Cadance, just a little pegasus back then, was the only one who was able to stop her. Both of their lives changed dramatically since then, and the constant fight against the fear became more complicated and gained a new dimension and purpose... As Cadance understood her responsibilities better, she mastered the mask that was required of her. Aunt Celestia helped her. For years Cadance expected to shoulder hopes and dreams of the world, but then the other alicorns began to appear and reemerge, and Cadance eventually took a step to the sidelines. After all said and done, she got a chance to live her own life, even to be the Princess in charge of her own kingdom. Cadance was supposed to feel blessed, as she was surrounded by loved ones, and graced by having a family. Why then she always was hounded by a sense of unease? Even in her most calm and intimate thoughts she couldn't describe the feeling properly. Was it just paranoia? Some unresolved ambition? Why was she never truly happy? Is it normal to constantly not feel satisfied? But whatever the reason for it, now wasn't the time to mull over her feelings. All her thoughts were invariably circling back to the Princess of the Sun, to her ever-looming warm presence, known since foalhood. Celestia was supposed to be at the Royal Palace right now, trapped with that parasite... Cadance just couldn't stop worrying about it, and any distraction from it, as well as from the ongoing terror, couldn't suffice. "Your Highness?" the voice called to her, and she snapped out of it. "Here. I'm here. Everything's fine?" She opened her eyes and raised her head with the shimmering horn. A short respite had passed. "More or less," the pony on the other side of the door replied in shaken tone, and Cadance stood up from her resting place. She felt a short dizziness, then wiped a few leftover tears from her muzzle, hoping that her eyes aren't too red. She took a deep breath. Love will prevail. She stepped out of the door, and nurse Cheery Hooves, one of the senior staff members, awkwardly shuffled out of her way. Mare carried a frozen, mortified look on her muzzle that lit up with hope at Cadance's sight. In the last few hours, the Princess came to recognize it well. Each time it reminded her of the day when crystal ponies were liberated, and it wasn't a good memory. "So far we managed to find rooms for all severely hurt patients, but there aren't enough supplies and doctors to accommodate," Cheery talked at a brisk pace, as she trotted along fast-moving alicorn, "There's are also some, ah... agitation. Noble ponies are angered that we are forced to give them the same treatment as the rest..." "Of course they are," Cadance uttered under breath. She always was amazed by how strongly the privileged folk could stick to their customs. Sometimes she considered her humble upbringing as a blessing in disguise—it was giving her perspective. "Your Highness, can you help calm them down?" Cheery asked hopefully, "They're getting in the way of our work." Right, she is the peacemaker. Cadance entertained the thought of foalsitting those sinecures and realized that the just doesn't have the energy for it. She belonged at the edge of the magical barrier that was erected by her around the hospital, not in the safety of the walls, easing the worries of those who won't appreciate it. Her gaze wandered over the ponies that were in the hallway. They were of all trades, every tribe, every standing. Stallions and mares, colts and fillies, most of them unharmed, but all stricken with terror and uncertainty. Murmur went on between them, but in general, they were silent and waiting. Their gazes clang to Cadance, each one equally hungry for a miracle. The Princess remained composed. It's just like another stroll before subjects. After all, ponies always need something. There were at least a few hundred of them in the Canterlot Hospital now, and while it was the only large medical institution in the capital and was built to accommodate, it began to feel crowded nonetheless. Canterlot never was a big populated city, but still, there were thousands of ponies, currently unaccounted for... An influx of new stragglers was constant, and the changelings, that spread over the city like an infection, perfectly knew about it. They all were drawn to the pink shield that was erected by Cadance. She felt how dark creatures were trying to chip away at it somewhere, it was a steady feel, torturous, always on the back of her mind. It all needed to end soon. As she kept silent and tried to find an excuse not to go, a familiar figure appeared at the far end of the corridor, and Cadance felt relieved. Some normalcy... "Maybe I'll start with this one, and then work my way from there," she grinned to Cheery Hooves and stepped to meet her favorite hatesink. "Cadance!" Prince Blueblood bellowed, groggily shambling toward her. His mane was a mess and the scorch mark on his chest was glaring, but the stallion still carried himself with all the stubbornness of a highborn mule. "Heck, maybe he really has some of the alicorn blood in him," Cadance wondered, eyeing that scorch. She was hoping that Blueblood would be knocked out for longer. "Ah, if it isn't you, good Prince Vladimir! What a sight for sore eyes! How do you fare? Does the night treat you well?" "I was informed that my royal Adjudicator is in your possession." Blueblood pointed his forehoof threateningly. "I demand you to relinquish it to me at once!" "The what now?" Cadance cocked her head, trying to withhold laughter, then looked under her wing. "Oh, you mean the sword! I'll keep it for now, thank you. Maybe you should be more aware of where you trying to stick it, dear brother," her smile was disarmingly innocent. He pouted and huffed. As far as Cadance was concerned, Celestia treated her alleged blood relation to the Bluebloods as some sort of long-standing joke, but there was a serious undertone to it as well. In the unlikely scenario that alicorns wouldn't be able to respond to their duties, the Blueblood family had the right to rise as a line of regents. Equestria would be doomed anyway, but at least the wreckage that would occur would be a guided one, so their charred remains might end up lying in a pleasing manner, so to speak. "Happy thoughts, Cadenza. Ponies need you. They look up to you." "I know, we have this rivalry going on between us," Blueblood pleaded, trying to be genuine for a change, "but dear Father will positively murder me if he knows that I lost our heirloom, surely you understand?" "Pish posh, don't worry your pretty head. It's not like I am taking your pride or anything. Good weaponry is sparse, as well as able-bodied ponies whom can wield it. I'll settle the matter with old Vsevolod later," Cadance chittered frivolously, trotting to the main hall. "Sister, you're slaying me out here. You literally slaying me," he whinnied quietly, still hoping to play out the pity card. As if it ever worked with her. "I need it to protect myself... and others. What if those changelings happen to be upon us? What then? I'll be cursing you with my dying breath while they do with me Celestia-knows-what, that's what!" "I'm sorry, Vlad," Cadance cringed, but placed a hoof on his shoulder, forcing herself to talk reassuringly. "Recuperate. Equestria needs you to be strong. If we're lucky, I'll kill a few little beasts myself until the night's end, in the name of our shared family. You can take all the credit if you want. We can say that you supplied me with Abjucator when you were felled in the glorious duel against the Queen of the Changelings herself. It's almost true! Just think of all the attention!..." "No, you won't get rid of me that easily," he frowned like a defiant child, still following. "Dear brother, you need to rest!" She nickered, but did not attempt to restrain him. "You know, not all stories happen on the front lines, anyway. Let some mare take care of you and your, er, battle scar!" She tried to glance at Cheery Hooves, but the nurse was already spirited away by more pressing troubles. Blueblood shook his head: "I'd rather burn in Tartarus than keep lying down for another minute. That Chrysalis dishonored me, and I will take what's rightfully due." Cadance raised a brow. So there are redeeming qualities to Vladimir? Food for thought. If he keeps it up and gets out of disfavor of the alicorn of love, he might even find luck with ladies. At the main hall, something had stolen her attention. In front of her was occurring a small scene: two members of the Royal Guard were on patrol, and one of them, a unicorn, stood over a pair of ponies huddled at the wall. Regular checkup, it seemed. All of them looked beaten. One of two ponies, a mare, was glaring at the armor-clad ponies. Her pretty muzzle was twisted in a contemptuous grimace. She batted away the spear of one of the guards, then made a beeline to the nearest window. "A changeling!" rang a shout from somewhere. Blueblood froze on the spot, Cadance half-drawn her sword, but everything was already over. The creature was already pinned down by speartips and was rapidly reverting to its original form. The beast wriggled and hissed, as the guards tore weapons out from its body only to bring them down again. Cadance did not look at it, though. She watched how a stallion, a companion to a deceiving creature, crawled on his knees toward its expiring form. His hoof was outstretched and pressed down, his muzzle, obscured by the hair, seemed grief-stricken. Strangely, this image stole all of Cadance's attention. "What is this?" she thought. "What feeling is this? An empathy? Is this love, too? Does it matter if it is misaligned, if it is real?" "Cadance. Hey. You with me?" The voice of her husband returned Cadance to reality. His concerned icy-blue eyes were right in front of her. She exhaled shakily, and nuzzled into him shortly, pulling her mind away from the scene. Not the time to lose focus. "Your Highness, aren't you supposed to be under guard?" Shining Armor smirked flirtatiously, and it helped her regain her bearings. "Yeah. My guard was away, though," she quietly giggled in response, walking through the front door. She was never the one to be held down by the rules. Blueblood was lagging behind them, unperturbed by any of what happened. The sight of his blissfully smug expression gave some leeway to Cadance... maybe she just imagined it all. She surveyed the situation outside: everything still was the same. She saw scurrying dark shadows beyond the wall of her magic, between uneven droplets of water, sparkling in the light. The Hive was like a wriggling mess of insects sometimes. They always looked busy with something, agitated by the ongoing hunt. Encircling, waiting for something to happen. Right before the wall, Stygian was hunched over the one of dead changelings, while surrounded by a number of guards. Two of Cadance's personal royal guards were among others, acknowledging her with curt nods as she and the stallions joined the commotion. During a recent disastrous wedding, she allowed these crystal ponies to go partake in the city-wide celebration, and haven't come to regret this decision since they quickly found her in ensuing chaos. "If we are going at war with those creatures," Stygian was collected and serious, as he was holding up a speech, "we should at least understand how to fight them in close combat. Look here. Their insides aren't that different from ours, so if you hadn't skipped your basic anatomy lessons, you should know where to strike to hurt the most." "But what about their chitin?" Ivory Rook, one of her guards, spoke up. He, Beam Flitter, and Stygian, immediately shared some semblance of camaraderie, that was known only to those who lived through the events that occurred one thousand years ago. Cadance hadn't pried into it. She hadn't got a chance yet. "Aye, they have something that can be called chitin," instructed the grim unicorn, operating with a short sword as a pointer, "As you can see, it protects their spine, shoulders, and chest. Their hooves seem to be completely made of this hard substance," Stygian lifted the limb in question, not yet stiffened by rigor mortis, "Maybe something related to their transformation magic, but I guess we will leave the final word to real experts. Just hit them like you would want to hit a pony with intent to kill:-" Some of the members of the Royal Guard were pale, already showing signs of anxiety. Shining Armor, Ivory Rook, and Beam Fitter remained composed and attentive. Vladimir finally stepped aside, not willing to participate in it. "-neck, inner thigh, groin area, armpits, stomach—by the looks of it they have a blood circulation system very similar to ours," Stygian spoke impassionate, and it reminded Cadance of Twilight, specifically when she really gets into a topic that interests her and dissociates with reality completely, "One good cut or puncture, and they can just bleed out with whatever they have instead of blood... Some fluid plasma of a unique sort?... Can't be sure. What could be troubling for us the most, is this—" His hooves moved into the opened section of a changeling's torso. Cadance noted the lack of use of telekinetic magic. Stygian scooped up and pulled the dark glistening entrails of perished creature, his scrunched muzzle showing barely a hint of displeasure. "Oh, I can't watch..." Cadance murmured. But she kept watching anyway. "See this?" Stygian was looking at them starkly. "It is a digestive system, atrophied due to lack of intended use, but in theory perfectly functional nonetheless. They have a complete set of organs, you can see it for yourselves if you wish. Ergo, we can posit that, for all intents and purposes, they are like ponies but severely twisted by dark magic." Stygian finished his grim speech and went silent, letting for the thought to settle in. "What's that supposed to mean?" asked Shining confused, glancing at the living changelings, who weren't thrilled by the ongoing public autopsy. "What, they are mammals?" "Are they vertebrates?" added Cadance. "They don't seem to be like insects at all." "Well, see, that is where it is going to be most curious. Notice the lack of any sexual characteristics," Stygian replied, "You can also posit, for all intents and purposes, that they are also like drones. Workers. They are..." He frowned, thinking, "Mimics, aye? They're simple... Simplified... And yet, this creature before us is like an amalgamation of different ones, and this can tell us about their high capability to evolution... Or an ability to adapt... Or maybe about a lack thereof, given the circumstances, and their seeming inability to reproduce..." "So what does it lead to?" Beam Fitter asked, "What is the takeaway?" "They can be studied and understood." Stygian peered at the creatures beyond the barrier, "They have emotions like us. They can be spoken to. They even show attributes of all three tribes, though it is debatable. And given that they have seemingly no culture of their own, we might even be able to coexist, in the future... If we think of them as another type of pony, that is." "That is absurd!" Cadance spoke louder than intended, and all looked at her, "You talk of those pillagers, parasites, that brought war on our doorstep! And now you propose some sort of tolerance for their kind?" Cadance rose her head high, glaring daggers, her wings unfurled, "So what if they like us!? It doesn't excuse any of their misdeeds!" "Aye. I'm sorry, Your Highness," Stygian lowered his head, "I might've overstepped. Please, forgive me. The point of this presentation was to show how to fight them more efficiently, and that is all. For manners of similitude, I'd like also to point out their sensitivity to light. It should be easy to blind them with fire, lamps, or magic, for they are accustomed to seeing in darkness." "Alright, enough of this. Thank you, Stygian," Shining smiled lopsidedly, placing heavy hoof on Cadance's shoulder. She finally got a chance to look at him closely, noting a strange device, strapped on an ankle of a foreleg. They made a few steps right where Blueblood was waiting, and there Shining turned and looked with warm attention: "You're good?" "Yeah," she rubbed her forehead. Constant strain in the horn was taking its toll, but it was nothing compared to when she needed to protect Crystal Spire. "How's Spike and the girls?" "Fluttershy became quiet, even more than usual," Cadance frowned, "Dash still hasn't come to, I've made sure that she is in the best care possible. Others are a great help around the hospital. They do not know what to think, it seems, about what had happened. I mean, about Twilight. We're all just waiting now, yes?" "What is that you're carrying around, Shiny?" Vladimir suddenly butted in. "Is that a hindlegged magical artifact from Undercity? Are you aware these things are illicit?" "Guilty. But believe it or not, I've got it from a friend in the Royal Guard. The Arcane Ministry's tuition is finally paying off, Vlad?" Shining smiled. Blueblood shrugged. "Father blessed me with personal tutorship..." Cadance arched her brow, examining the device. "Vlad raised a good point, for a change. Why do you even need this toy, love?" "Oh, I'm going out there. After Twilight. Someone needs to bring her back." "You think she will fail?" Cadance jerked her head up. Almost instinctively, her wing flared to prevent Blueblood from barging in with his opinion. She saw how he already drew breath to say something ill-fitting. "No-no," Shining smiled wearily, "It's just not okay with me, alright? I rarely get to act out like a big brother to her, so it's now or never. One hoof there, another here. I'll be safe; you won't even notice I'm gone." Cadance slightly winced and tried to look for help at Stygian and members of the guard, but they just shamefully avoided eye contact, mostly. So they had already been talked into this. "Shiny... Darling, please..." she placed a hoof on his. He sighed, but behind his eyes, there was the resolution, one that she loved and feared so much. "Sorry, dove." "I'm coming with," she said sternly. "Yeah, no. We aren't leaving Flurry without parents." "Take Ivory and Beam, then!" "I'll be less noticeable when moving alone," he said, shaking his head. "Faster, too. To hoof, I know the city to its last nook and cranny, so you know those 'lings will never get me." "You—" "Listen, love. We both know that I am your good-looking, reliable Prince-Consort, but not much beyond that, right?" He took her hoof into his, and gently caressed over it, "I am a figurehead. If the worst happens to me, crystal ponies will still have their Crystal Princess, and we still will have a fighting chance against Chryssie... I am disposable, alright? You, however, are not. Cadance..." he looked concerned, lifting her hung head to keep their eyes on one level, "Don't go all sappy on me, alright? Don't cry. You know I can't leave if you cry." Cadance blinked fast and gulped. "You are a fool." "Yeah." "Just like Twilight." Shining delivered her a guilty smile. He looked towards the barrier, shifted his weight to it. He wanted to go right now. Too soon. "Twilight will manage," she said softly, just like to other Elements earlier. "She is a strong girl. She made her choice." "Well... I am making choice too. I'll just try to make sure she manages." "Why are you always making it all so complicated?" Cadance breathed out, despite her better judgment. Shining shrugged with that foolish smile of his, taking another step and covering his head with a hood, "This spot is safe. Whenever you're ready, love." "You're completely not thinking about me. About us." "M-hm." Cadance made a long, exasperated groan, leaning forward and looking starkly at the muzzle of her husband. "You're absolutely despicable. Why did I marry such a heartless bastard?" "You know why." Shining grinned. "Love?" "No, I hate you. Hate you. You hear?... You are not disposable! No one is!" He laughed and looked back with happy amusement: "That's reassuring." "Get Twilight and return alive, you understand?" "As you wish, Your Highness!" He gave out a cocky bow, turned, and vanished through the magical wall, which dispersed before him. Cadance smiled through heartache, then remembered something and ran up to the barrier: "You have three hours! Three hours, you hear!? Or I'll come right after you myself!" He nodded briskly, grinning, and then was gone without a trace somewhere in the constant rain. Cadance's heart was thumping fast as she stared with uncertainty, not knowing what she was supposed to feel. Pride? Powerlessness? Well, only a few days ago she longed for some spice and drama, hasn't she? She was relentless. Waiting never felt so miserable before. Each passing minute was building upon the previous one, slowly creeping over and adding to shared weight, and there was nothing but fear and anxiety now. But Cadance was a strong pony, she was the alicorn and a Princess, and she was supposed to endure. For herself and others. She wanted a glass of wine, to tug herself under the warm blanket, and listen to how the wind howls beyond the crystal walls of the Spire. She wanted that her biggest troubles would be worrying about Flurry's future, as well as governing over the sleepy small kingdom in the far north. She wanted to see smiling friendly faces again. But instead, she looked on as a slow procession of ponies was treading through the water, all of them drenched and in need of warmth which she was incapable of fully providing. She isn't Celestia or even the miracle worker. Not really. The barrier dissipated before new noble ponies, and Cadance ordered Stygian calmly: "They're all in need of inspection. Call our unicorns, it's no time to rest. We must not let any of the beasts slip through." The one that was leading the procession caught her attention, stepping in front of her, and Cadance's heart happily fluttered at the familiar sight. "Yes. Proceed with that," he said, and Cadance squealed in an unprincess-like manner, pulling the older pony into a hug. "Kibitz!" She giggled, "You're alright!" "I was alright until this moment," Kibitz sighed, and even his soaked mustache sagged down defeatedly, "I'd say, this calamity is what happens when you give majordomo of the Canterlot Castle a few days off, is it not?" "Well, it wasn't my decision," Cadance pouted, "You should blame everything on the Queen of the Changelings." "That, I will do," he patted the alicorn's shoulder, being released, "Her invasion was glaringly unscheduled, after all." "What news do you bring?" She looked over the procession, noting bleak and worn-out expressions. And one would think, this night was supposed to be a happy celebration... "Nothing good, I am afraid. As you can see, we came here under Princess Celestia's direct order. There are only changelings with her in the Palace now, to my knowledge." Kibitz answered grimly. Cadance nodded. Almost the whole staff of the Royal Palace was here, including all who were hosted there today in any capacity—all in all, a sizable lot. She noticed more soldiers of the Royal Guard among the ponies, a welcoming sight. Their commander was Captain Glimmering Shield, current second-in-command under Flash Magnus. That meant that Magnus himself was somewhere else in the city, still fighting for its freedom. Just like others. All are fighting, except her. Cadance's jaw clenched. "Kibitz?" Vladimir stepped somewhere out of her peripheral vision. His eyes were searching, "I must inquire, is my Father with you? Was he hurt?" "Ah, Prince Blueblood..." Kibitz sighed, "My sincerest apologies. There's important information I must deliver to you, concerning your father." "Out with it!" Blueblood smiled nervously, as uncertain glances from other ponies began to get to him. "I am not a correct pony to announce it, but... Your father, the Duke," Kibitz deadpanned, "was killed." "Papa is killed? No..." Blueblood's face fell, "How?" "We found him in one of the staff rooms. Changelings got to him there. He tried to fight, and, hm..." Kibitz removed his glasses with the shaken hoof, and proceeded to dry them with a handkerchief. "Kllh dem, zal er ruen fridlekh, I am sorry, young Lord. He died a good death. We lost too many good ponies tonight... Celestia sends her condolences." At a loss of words, Blueblood whipped his head down. "Celestia, she..." Cadance gulped, and leaned in. "How is she? Did she say anything else?" Kibitz paused, trying to figure out how to answer. "She seemed unwell. Distant," he responded quietly. Cadance nodded again. It seemed a typical behavior for Celestia, for better or worse of it. Trying not to let her fears run rampant, she turned to Blueblood, who was staring at her blankly. "Brother, dear... I'm so sorry. I truly am. I respected Duke Vsevolod and considered him to be my friend, even if we often didn't see often eye-to-eye." "Give me back my sword, Cadance," Blueblood demanded in an unfamiliar tone. "You still not recovered fully, brother," she returned with a sheepish smile. "Give me back my weapon, mare!" He roared, scaring her, and turned to a nearby guard. "Your spear, quickly, you dolt! I'll go and carve out a path through the changeling horde to the Castle myself, if I have to!" "Belay that order," Cadance gathered herself and spoke with steel in her voice, then turned to Gleaming Shield, who already was done with his inspection, "Captain, Prince Blueblood is not feeling well. Let your charges escort him to the safe room, where he won't hurt anypony, most of all himself. Senior nurse Cheery Hooves will show you the one." "I'm fine! I am perfectly fine! Don't you dare!" Blueblood growled, but no one listened to him. Three guards pinned him down and dragged him away—at least at first until the young noble found the dignity to walk by himself. Kibitz uttered remorsefully: "How pitiful... And the night is still only beginning, my young Princess. I believe you can accommodate me and my compatriots here? Some hot tea, perhaps?" The swarm was growing for the past dozens of minutes. More and more strain was laid down on Cadance, as she felt how the monsters try to break in. The storm clouds above the city poured down infernal amounts of water, making the rivers boil and go out of shorelines. Well, Cadance couldn't see the part about the rivers personally, but it surely felt like it. But then things changed, and Cadance called for a meeting. "We have to do something, Your Highness," Stygian was looking worried. "Part of them split up, see?" "It might be a trick." "It might." Cadance tapped on the windowsill, pondering. It was the first time the swarm began to recede, and that meant that something is happening right now. With the recent addition of forces, they may make a difference and secure the safety of civilians. Maybe they have unexpected allies? It was unlikely... Whatever it meant, someone was presumably fighting nearby. Maybe even dying. "When you're prone to waiting around, it is often perceived as a sign of weakness by others... You know, there are at least two remedies to any problematic situation," she said eventually. "First, you can try to figure out why you're in it. Second, you can get out. There's a catch, though." "Yes?" Stygian cast a wary look. "These solutions aren't connected." She traced her hoof over the sword's hilt, pressed her forehead to the cold glass, trying to cool her nerves. "Not at all. Once you get out, you can just move on, but to figure out why it happened you might need to spend the rest of your entire life in it—and you'll just sit on your rump with the problem unresolved." Beam Flitter, one of her personal guards, chipped in, "So what action do you propose, Princess? We fight?" "I am an alicorn of Love, for what it's worth," she smiled grimly. "Let's parley." Their ragtag procession soon went out of the front doors and made its way to the edge of the barrier. Cadance's army was pitiful: nearly forty guards, including the captain and two crystal ponies from Crystal Empire, then Stygian, Blueblood (now considerably calmer), and Applejack, who just couldn't sit this one out. Despite all their achievements in the past, Cadance deemed other Elements as non-combatants and demanded they watch over civilians. She did not want to risk anyone's life if it is unnecessary. "Think Chrysalis is there?" Stygian was holding a crossbow, itching for a target. Comparably huge, the weapon looked almost comical in his scrawny hooves. "Ah reckon', she got too much on her plate," Applejack murmured, her gaze remaining directed to the changelings, who were coming closer to investigate. Cadance tried to adjust the armor she pulled from one of the wounded soldiers, then sighed deeply. "Let's find out exactly that," she said quietly. "You know, I kinda even miss Chrysalis' mug already." "How so?" Applejack asked. Cadance leaned in a conspiratorial whisper: "I want to see it in pain." She smiled, pulling back, and looked through the barrier at the little beasts. Dear Celestia, how she loathed them. Her every nerve screamed to flee. One might not expect the Princess of Love to feel repugnancy to any living creatures, let alone whole species, but in this case, she could make an exception. Their whole existence was a spit in her face, received literally. They had no empathy, no value for others. Even greedy grown-up dragons, from her experience, could feel love and genuine affection. The changelings were abhorrent. Their previous invasion of Canterlot happened fast and ended abruptly, 'an hour-long siege', Cadance joked about it later. In reality, it lasted even less, but it lingered anyway like a poison, brought ramifications, and spawned many rumors and theories about what changelings do to their captives. Once, while trying to spare herself the grisly thoughts about what Chrysalis had planned for her back then, Cadance looked into it, hoping to ease her mind. Oh, how naive she was... It was the worst thing she could do. She learned about insects and their behavior, about ovipositors and laying eggs, and then about the usage of ponies as a food source, with all that entails... She imagined these food farms, filled with green cocoons, envisioned how changelings could be trying to breed ponies as livestock, and finally, was horrified by her possible fate, of how they could've tried to keep her alive for generations, subservient, broken in every way possible... And then, there was unsettling truth about how many ponies hadn't been saved over centuries of their impermanent long struggle. During this time, many were overwhelmed by these treacherous creatures, only to perish in complete terror and darkness. Even now, recalling all she read about it, Cadance's stomach twisted, and her vision had gone blurry out of sheer disgust. It was no wonder that collective ponydom quickly tried to heal, move on, and forget about nightmares of the changeling invasion each time they were repelled in the past. Chrysalis will never get Equestria. Over Cadance's dead body. The Princess took a few breaths, calmed herself, and stared at nearby changelings. They gathered almost at a hoof's reach. Their alien eyes weren't bearing any discernable emotion. "I demand to speak with your commander. Bring him to us," Cadance requested. The beasts didn't budge. Cadance felt inadequate. The sensation of being trapped suddenly weighed on her tenfold. "Am I not clear?" She raised an eyebrow, "Bring me your representative, if you have one. I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of Equestria, ruler of the Crystal Empire, and I demand to speak with whoever is in charge!" The beasts shared looks, and finally several of them disappeared into the dark. Cadance suppressed a satisfied grin, and then raised eyes, looking at a barely visible silhouette of the Royal Palace in the distance. Ponies around her were silent, bearing uncharacteristic grim expressions. Even Blueblood stopped whining about wanting a sword and grabbed himself a spear. Cadance had a sensation of dreadful foreboding. As she looked upwards, she saw against the dark sky a slowly flying specter—a wendigo. It seemed to observe the situation, keeping at a distance. Never a good sign... The changelings crawled on rooftops and walls before her eyes, amassing and getting ready for something. Soon, one of them separated, walking directly to the Princess. It was unlike the others. Three strange oval-shaped objects were embedded into its chest. Certainly, there was something wrong with it overall. Deformed muzzle, jerked movements with each shaking step... It swayed, its pale eyes were open widely. It seemed old?... Malnourished?... Pathetic. It seemed pathetic. "What is this?" Cadance smirked coldly. "I wanted to see a commander, not another underling. Where is your Queen?" "N-now she is yo-ours Q-queen too, m-morsel," it replied in a screeching tone, unpleasant to the ear, lacking cadence. The Love Princess realized that she didn't hear any of the Queen's minions' voices ever before. Moreover, she somehow just refused to believe that they can actually hold a conversation, let alone do it coherently. It was almost surreal. "I wish to speak with Chrysalis herself. Where is she?" "Busy. The mistress is b-beyond your l-little concerns." "I have information of utmost importance. You aren't aware where your real leader is, is that it?" "It s-se-seems, we b-both will settle for an underling. I don't see Celestia before me n-neither," the creature answered with bile, and chuckled to itself. Blueblood leaned closer to her: "He's got you there, sister." Cadance narrowed her eyes, not about to be humiliated by some nobody: "Who would you be to have the right to speak with Celestia, anyway?" The rich, long pause was her answer, and with each passing second, the distorted grin of the changeling only grew wider. Cadance realized what it was going for, and barely frowned. It all felt childish... Eventually, when her guards began shifting and coughing in their hooves, the changeling broke the silence: "You w-wanted to d-discuss your surrender, pony." "Why would you say that?" Cadance spoke defiantly, still hoping to get some sliver of information from the exchange. "You have no l-leverage. No o-other reason to talk," the changeling moved its milky eyes over ponies. "You're just b-bunch of scared, fat sacks of t-tender flesh. You're p-powerless, and you do n-not know what to do. You are g-grasping at st-straws." Cadance decided she needs to take things more seriously. She took a step forward, raising a shining horn. Her voice began to sound threatening: "You wouldn't wish to provoke me, little beast. I am a diplomat of ponykind, and I know that war is merely another method of diplomacy. Maybe the least effective one, but for you, monsters, it will suffice." The changeling wasn't impressed. A passionate vehemence rang in his broken words: "You g-got it all mixed up, mo-morsel. You kn-now no-not of what you speak. You think you kn-know, but you don't. War is a hunger... For beasts like us, hunger is never s-satisfied... We are always at war with you. There w-will a-always be fear. A-a-always b-be war. A-a-always-s be d-death." "There will always be love as well," Cadance said quietly. "The world ne-never ch-changes. Everything f-flows, but everything remains the same. We-weak will suf-fer. Strong will en-endure." Suddenly, Stygian lent his voice, and it drew everyone's attention: "Why can't we coexist?" The changeling went silent for a heartbeat, staring. "Co-coexist?..." he screeched raspily. "On y-your co-conditions? When is it pre-predators bowed to a prey? Why have scraps and sops, when you can have it all?" Disgusted, Cadance hissed through clenched teeth: "Loud words for parasites." Stygian pursed his lips, looking starkly with his pale eyes. His hoof moved to the crossbow's trigger. "Is this all there is to it, even now?" it was barely an uncertain whisper, but Cadance heard Beam Flitter pensively asking Ivory Rook, as they were close at her side, "Just everyone struggling and wanting to use one another?" "No, this isn't true! There's family, and fun, and friends, and joy of life!" Cadance thought, her heart fluttered in anger, "I'm sorry I couldn't show you, but I promise you, there is!" "This animal just doesn't know any better," she said out loud, boisterously. "Look at it, all it can do is destroy and perverse. So what if it wags its tongue around? How does that justify anything?" "I j-just m-might know some th-things, believe me," the changeling quipped. "I know how you ponies are tricksy, tricksy... All ho-hoarding love to yourselves, all the time... To get it out of you is a re-rewarding challenge." "Sister, you're right, why do even listen to this? What for?" seething with rage, Blueblood brandished the weapon. "Remove that barrier." Cadance turned, frowning, and her breath hitched, as she looked back at the ponies. They were livid, perplexed. Applejack met eyes with hers, and it was strange to see helplessness from a usually confident and dependable mare. Stygian spoke tensely: "Fighting them would be unwise. We would be just overwhelmed in the open field." "Yes-s, that is right..." the changeling, that obdurate monster, grinned, as he was joined on his side of the barrier by others, "We-we w-will be victorious, pony. It is inev-evitable." "Then what are we doing here!?" Prince Blueblood roared, agitated, "These barbarians killed our families, and what, we came out for peace talk? Cadance, aren't you an alicorn? Can't you just destroy all of them, and spare us this menace!?" "I am sorry for your loss, Vladimir. Even one death is one too many. Any death is one too many. It isn't a reason to let vengeance cloud our mind," Cadance uttered, but lack of emotion betrayed her. She knew she managed to find the right words, but she wasn't sure she believed in them right now. She noticed how Applejack glanced at her again. "Bah! Quit it with proselytizing," Prince Blueblood growled, "You really want to try to excuse that? That? Where is your honor? You're supposed to be royalty! To protect us!" It was all wrong. You can't be 'diplomatic' with those who treat you like prey. It will only make things worse, she knew it and yet made this juvenile mistake... "We need to return and reassess the situation," Cadance mumbled, taking a look at the castle. Maybe they achieved what she wanted and served as a distraction, after all. She beckoned Captain Gleaming Shield to follow and turned. He did so begrudgingly, silent dissatisfaction was all over his muzzle. She heard how changelings laughed. "Run! That's right! Run! Tug your tail and run!" "Weak!" "Worthless!" Cadance's ear twitched and she rose her head high, trying to suppress the urge to launch at them. Later. She will make sure that the hospital is guarded, she will come for Shining and Twilight, and do it all without unnecessary bloodshed. The situation is still salvageable... She made several steps and stopped in her tracks, hearing the sudden sound of racket and shrieks. She snapped back. A ray of powerful magic, the kind of which Cadance had never seen before, tore itself from the side of Royal Palace. It went across several towers of the city, demolishing them, then grazed Canterlot Mountain. A tremendous rumble closed in and engulfed everything. "They are fighting!" Cadance thought, her wings flaring. "She is fighting! They are fighting with her!" Everyone, ponies and changelings alike, watched in stunned silence. For a few long moments, there was stillness, all the while those beautiful towers kept crumbling, deforming the sight to which Cadance was accustomed since foalhood... The ground under her hooves quaked. The whole city trembled. It cried like a wounded beast. It had a booming voice, terrible and inequine: "ENOUGH!" With blinding flash, it became bright as day. From the castle, in every possible direction, a powerful light of ancient magic beamed. The building convulsed. The haunting demand, filled with ire, was echoing: "ENOUGH!" Cracks went across the pavement and walls of nearby buildings. The rain briefly stopped, and the dark clouds, lit from beneath, swirled in incandescent grey. Everyone cowered in terror. Cadance heard how someone whimpered like a foal, how others prayed, asking for mercy. "ENOUGH!" Something impossible happened: the mountain of Canterlot, ever-present on the backdrop, jerked up. No, Cadance realized, it is the platforms on which the city was nestled, sagged down. Despite having wings from birth, the alicorn got a gut-sucking empty feeling, as if she is about to fall... ⠀ ⠀ Several lightning bolts struck Canterlot, and one went directly into the barrier overhead. Not expecting that, Cadance cried from pain in her horn, and her magic immediately dissipated. Heavy rain, wind, scorching smell, still subsiding heat, everything of it rushed on ponies, overwhelming all their senses. Cadance saw how Stygian, one of the few who wasn't dazed by what just happened, stood tall and pulled the trigger of the crossbow. The changeling commander's head jerked back, and he rose on his hindlegs, while helplessly flailing hooves. The bolt was lodged deeply into his eyesocket. He took a step back, keeled over, with a surprised expression on his muzzle. Frightened changelings scattered away from the body. "Strike! Strike them now!" as Stygian's voice was almost drowned out by thunder, he threw away his crossbow and drew a short sword, "For the Princesses!" The source of blazing light was quickly dissipating, giving way to the darkness. Everything broke loose. The ponies charged, dragging Cadance along with them. Pushed by bodies from every side, overtaken by ardor and screams, she worked her hooves until she found herself amid a chaotic battle. She tore the sword from the scabbard, trying to figure out where the enemy is. Despite tutorship from many mentors, including Celestia, she did not expect to put her skill to practice. Her crystal guards disappeared from sight. Searching for them, she ran forward, noting how Blueblood was clumsily piercing one changeling with a spear, or how Applejack bucked another one in the wall. A shadowy creature leaped at Cadance from above, she caught it with aura and slammed forcefully on its back. With a practiced movement, she pressed the edge to the enemy's throat. In sparring it would've meant that her partner is beaten. The changeling looked at her in fear, its lips moved, blubbering something. Cadance hesitated, panting from the rush of adrenaline. Despite all her bravado, she had never taken anyone's life before. It was like taboo to her, as the Princess of Love. She could withstand death and tough decisions, but an actual armed conflict, even after everything, so far seemed like something from a telltale book about princesses and knights—not real ones, of course. 'Not in Equestria,' she wanted to think. 'A pity. It would be fun. Maybe even romantic.' After all, just like always, there's another day, a better day of tomorrow, when everything could be resolved... "Maybe I can just take the creature into custody. We can talk and figure it out. It is afraid, it is beaten. Killing it wouldn't be right, I must try to show kindness, make an example... And it is small..." Evading the blade by inches, the beast lunged forward and sank its teeth into her shoulder, barely missing her neck. Cadance whinnied in disgust. She pierced the changelings' side and pushed down, feeling how her power is leeched by the monster. Not again! She pulled away and brought a weapon on the creature, then once more, and it went deep through the treacherous beast's chest. Cadance collapsed down on the hilt of the sword. Her unkempt wet mane stuck to her shoulders and back. Her little crown fell into the dirt. She watched as the creature was agonizing and succumbing to nothingness, as the last vestiges of life were leaving it in ragged slow breaths. With its last breath, it smiled. It felt like a dream, or maybe it was like an awakening. Death, like always, wasn't pretty. Just stupid, merciless, and swift. The Princess of Love felt absolutely nothing at the sight of it. There was no remorse and no grand revelation now that she sullied her hooves. She remained exactly who she always was, and it frightened her the most. "It is normal. It is an abomination, a monster, right?" the Princess tried to calm herself, looking around. Barely a few minutes had passed, but the changelings were already beaten. She saw how the last of them were fleeing toward the Upper Canterlot, right where her husband and sister-in-law had remained. Stygian was walking to her, cool and collected. "Just monsters, right?" she tried to think again, as her gaze fell on other dead beasts around. "Your Highness? Are you hurt?" The strategist helped her to stand and retrieve her weapon, along with royal regalia. She nervously shrugged with a wing, and felt calmer, seeing that her crystal guards are unharmed. In fact, everyone was unharmed, not considering a few fresh cuts and bruises. There was no celebration of victory, however. They looked at each other, completely at a loss, doubting that they made the right choice. "What was that light?" Prince Blueblood had a wild glazed look on him, still reeling from recent shock, "Did you all hear that? Saw that?" "Do you think it was Princess Celestia?" asked someone from the guards. "No, it couldn't be..." "But it was her voice, Is it?..." "Enough chatter!" Gleaming Shield barked and cast her an expectant look. Cadance blinked once in confusion before she remembered that she is in charge. "Thank you, captain," she said hoarsely. "I am going to investigate. Stygian, you have the permission to act on my behalf. Protect the hospital. Ivory, Beam, you're with me. Let's do it quickly." "As if I would listen to—" Vladimir began speaking, with reddened cheeks. "Ah'm coming with," Applejack cut him off, nodded with ardor. "Ah need just five to ten minutes, Your Highness. Haveta call other girls, and then we'll find Twilight, and Shining too. We will take back the whole Canterlot if need to!" Cadance smiled warmly at the sight. Twilight's friends were truly wonderful... Without hesitation, the Princess turned to others. "Guards, restrain Applejack and lead her back to the safe place." "Wh-huh? What?" The young mare peered at her in confusion. "You heard the Princess," Gleaming uttered after a short beat, and his stallions surrounded the farmer. "Uh, Your Highness!?" Applejack exclaimed, recoiling from pointy tips of the spears. "What in tarnation is going on?" Cadance heaved a sigh and tried to speak with authority. "A while ago, Celestia told me that the Elements might be the last hope for Equestria. She made me promise to her, that if unexpected happen and things go sour, I'll try to preserve you. I am not about to squander this hope without knowing what is going on. I will risk no one else." "B-but," Applejack stammered, surprised, "we don't even have Elements, they're broken, they... What sense does that make right now!? We managed without them!" "Who said that they can't be fixed somehow? Hope, Applejack. While you're alive, there's still hope." Cadance turned away, resolute. "I've made my decision. We're done here." She proceeded forward fast, mostly because she couldn't withstand more questions. A few tears traced down her muzzle. "Hope... Hope... Hope!..." She whispered, almost called out, as she walked deeper into the darkness. When all else fails and the future is filled with uncertainty, what else is there to do, but be hopeful? ═════════════════════════════ 𒀭𒀭𒀭 ═════════════════════════════ 𒄈 They walked, then switched to gallop. Didn't go far, just down the road and a few turns. Cadance's horn shone, and she covered them in the shroud of invisibility. "Shining went here," she thought with warmth, "By Celestia, what an idiot. What idiots we both are." "Your Highness, if I may inquire, what is our plan?" Ivory Rook cleared his throat and looked down on his transparent legs with child-like wonder. "Lower your voice," she asked. They reached one of the numerous bridges of the city. It was the fastest way from the hospital to the Royal Palace in the Upper Canterlot, maybe even the only viable one, given the circumstances. Cadance glanced around, then turned to her ponies. Something at the back of her head noted that she is mimicking her aunt's posture, complete with a slightly lifted foreleg. Seems it definitely became like second nature to her. "I want you to find a place to hide, and then watch this spot. If you meet here Prince Shining or Princess Twilight, try to give me a signal." "A signal?" Beam Flitter was perplexed, "But Princess, where would you be?" She nickered softly, and flapped her wings, soaring into the sky and removing them from the field of her magic. Suddenly visible, they glanced above in confusion, trying to discern where she is. "This is not farewell. I'll come back soon, my ponies," Cadance assured. She began flying higher into the rain and to the clouds, until she remained completely alone, with no one to worry about but herself. And now... What now? After everything that went on, flying and feeling the rush of wind was uplifting. She spread her wings, looking over the damage the fighting had caused. She wished that Canterlot was just asleep and did not look so dead. The changelings were easy to spot. If Canterlot could be seen as dead, then they were like flies, feasting on carrion. They were roaming the narrow streets, still numerous enough to be a threat, and seemingly sacking the city. Cadance saw how they were engaging in random fights, or disappearing inside the houses, crawling in and out of the broken windows. She shuddered to think what was going on in there, and what could be happening to ponies that were still alive. Cadance's heart was aching. If Celestia had won her battle, she would've surely made them stop already. Her ancient castle was awfully quiet and dark. No sign of anyone. In dread of what she could uncover inside of the castle, Cadance forced herself to fly over the changelings instead, who were amassed at the main square in front of it. Amidst torn decorations of celebration that never occurred and signs of a recent magical battle, they wandered like insects and beasts, paying no mind to their own dead and wounded, and just keeping stalking in search of food. Despite everything, they persisted. There were at least a few hundred of these creatures... Was Canterlot truly lost to them? Just like that, barely in the span of one night? Cadance began to realize that her hopes might be in vain. She could barely see anything down below. In silent prayer, she closed her eyes. Was it really so grim? She stubbornly refused to despair. Even if war is inevitable, it would be a war of liberation. The changelings could be beaten, the broken can be fixed... A gentle light fell on her muzzle. She looked upwards and saw the stars twinkle in the vast blackened sky. As if by some unknown magic, the clouds were slowly shifting and parting, and all the while Cadance kept looking in complete astonishment, captivated by the ethereal beauty above her. The silver glow of the Moon shone, stealing her breath. Its radiant beams illuminated the landscape, casting a surreal glow on everything it touched. Cadance couldn't help but feel a sense of tranquility wash over her. "Cadenza, you really are an idiot. You're only lost when your spirit is broken," she thought to herself, looking anew at the charred city below her. There were many times when others expected a miracle from her, and now she was reminded of how they felt. As if an unseen force were helping her—the love was shining through the bleakness. In its light, she saw the familiar bright coat of an unconscious unicorn, dragged by a pair of changelings across the castle's courtyard. Cadance drew the sword and folded wings, falling on them like a bird of prey. They barely had time to react, and this time nothing could stay her hoof. Blueblood's blade went through them like butter. With the deed done, Cadance pulled Shining on his back, fearing the worst. He was singed by flames, with a gash across his shoulder, as well as several bitemarks across his body. There were no weapons on him. Cadance searched for any signs of life. He was barely breathing. "Dear, please, wake up!" She whinnied in a low tone, hunching over him. Should've brought some water, a medicine bag, anything. Her hoof helplessly went over the husband's wound. "My knight... Darling..." she whispered tearfully, and tried to pull him off the ground while keeping the invisibility field active. Suffice it to say, even with all her earth pony strength, she failed. Shining remained completely unresponsive. She pressed the muzzle against his chest, crying. It couldn't end like this. She couldn't just leave him now. Maybe she could find some cart, or dispel invisibility and lift him with aura, but... the changelings... She willed with all of her heart for Shining to be fine. And then, right before her eyes, just like years ago at the previous changeling invasion, a small apparition of magic went from her horn and touched Shining's torso, dissipating on his coat. Immediately he coughed and wheezed, and took a deep breath. Turned aside, curled up, and vomited out a small puddle of green slime. Cadance held him in her forelegs, while he was slowly regaining his senses. "It's alright... Everything's gonna be alright," she promised, trying to be brave for him. He glanced from under lock of hair, wet from sweat and blood. "You're a beautiful angel," he groggily whispered and spewed on the earth last of the viscous liquid. Cadance smiled briefly. "Can you walk?" He grasped at her with a healthy foreleg and pulled closer. She squeaked under the weight of the stallion's body when he tried to lean on her. "Sorry," he mustered, delirious. "Where are the others?" "I am alone," Cadance answered, trying to take a step with him. Shining grimaced from pain in his foreleg and began to pant faster. "Is the castle safe?" she asked, and Shining chuckled in return. He looked at her with a weird indiscernible expression, then uttered something under his breath. "What? Shiny, please... What happened?" A cold lump was in her stomach. "You're acting strange." "Celestia happened." His muzzle scrounged, and he shook his head. "Our radiant Princess turned Twilight into the statue." Cadance's eyebrows shot up. Both ponies stopped shambling forward and for a few seconds just stared at each other. "That is impossible," eventually she replied, shaken. "Saw it with my own eyes." "No, it's a lie. A trick. A changeling's illusion." "N-no, Chrysalis, she... She... She, I believe, remained unharmed..." Shining's grasp on her tightened, and he leaned even closer. "Love, how much do you know about Celestia?" He asked in weak, yet direct tone. Cadance cast a fearful look at the castle, looming above them. "What should I know?" She paused, not hearing an answer, and tried to understand what he meant. "She is Celestia. Our Princess. My aunt. She taught me, Twilight, and many others. I can't tell you anything that you don't know yourself. You know we're not keeping secrets from each other." Shining Armor was silent. "You think she fell after all?" Cadance asked again, forcing words. "To the Darkness? To Chrysalis?" Her husband licked his dry lips and hung his head. "Listen, dove. I want you to be far away from her. From them both, actually, as well as their schemes." Cadance knitted her brows. "Shiny, darling, I don't fully grasp..." "I do not know what is a lie and what isn't," he uttered grimly. "So please, I want you to be at the Crystal Spire, surrounded by guards, with Flurry safe at your side. I don't want you to end up like Twilight." "What if I talk to Celestia? Surely, I can—" "What if she is under the control of Chrysalis?" Shining rebuked with sudden fervor. "Was before? Is now? Cadey, love, you cannot take chances. Not now. No 'what if's. Changelings are far more insidious than they seem. If you lose to them, who else is there to stand? They already had beaten Luna." "It is our actions that define us," Cadance remembered. She took a few seconds to think, then exhaled. Her voice became stern: "Fine, I've heard you. But you're coming with." "I'll just drag you down," he chuckled weakly. "Quit whining," she hissed with a playful sparkle in her eyes. "I married a soldier, not some loser. Up and about!" "Fine, fine. Don't boss me," Shining looked at her with admiration, and leaned harder on her. Cadance groaned from the weight of this burden. They proceeded to cross the courtyard. ═════════════════════════════ 𒀭𒀭𒀭 ═════════════════════════════ 𒄈 They crawled forward, regularly stopping, but they couldn't even catch their breath. No less than by sheer luck, they managed to drag themselves across the town square that was filled with changelings. It did not help much. Changelings were agitated by something. More than once one of them passed within a hair's breadth of them, and all that Cadance could do is to overwork her magic to conceal them further. Cadance's heart pounded madly in her chest. Any sudden movement or noise could give them away, and any spot seemed to be too dangerous to remain in. She considered hiding in one of the buildings and trying to wait it out, but her waning powers couldn't keep them safe in one place for long. Maybe she could try to hide her barely conscious husband and fly for help... "No, Cadenza. You won't leave him. There's no easy way out." And so they continued their arduous journey. The changelings' restless energy seemed to intensify with each passing moment, making it increasingly difficult for them to remain undetected. With every step they took, the weight of their exhaustion and the constant threat of discovery bore down on them, pushing them to their limits. Shining was becoming more and more unresponsive. Eventually, he closed his eyes for more than a minute, and Cadance felt fear swirl in her chest. When they seemed to be in the clear, she slapped him gently on the cheek, and he stirred slightly and slowly came awake. Licked his dried-up lips again. His whisper was weak, too weak: "Hate to ask, but you can't teleport us out of here, can you?" "No," she confessed shamefully, "Not a battle mage, remember? Barriers, shields. Not a savant." "Yeah..." He returned, "Not holding it against you. Remind me to teach you sometime." Cadance smiled desperately, looking at him closely. There was a solution to their problem. There was a power, softly glowing deep under his coat, filling his heart. It was a radiant power, which spiked each time they shared looks, shared words. A driving powerful gentle force, which stole her breath away, should she let herself look deeper into it. The awesome power of pure emotion, which was like a velvet glove, worn by a steel fist. Cadance could just reach out there and grasp it. She wouldn't even need to leech it, Shining wanted to give it away. He was completely on board. It could get them going, he would be her strength, her battery... To take the love, freely given... It would be the right thing to do, wouldn't it?... Who said that love isn't supposed to be used like that? Changelings can do it. So can she. So can Chrysalis. The last thing Cadance wanted is to start becoming like Chrysalis. "Cadey?" He murmured. "Yes, dear?" "Did you hear it?" Her ears moved up as she listened. They were alone in a small, crooked back alley, huddled in damp darkness between two ancient but well-maintained buildings. The whole nightly Canterlot seemed so foreign to her. Never in her life did she expect to traverse its streets and be in danger, especially in the Upper District. Dead silence dominated the air. There were no sounds of birds, not even the screech of the weather vane, nothing. In this nothingness, a shrill voice came from up ahead, and carefully, trying not to give themselves away, the pair moved to the nearest corner to take a look. "Please, someone, help!" cried the unfamiliar unicorn mare with a light blue coat. She was a pretty little thing, as beautiful as she was miserable. She was limping right in the middle of a moonlit street, her eyes were glazed over. She was small and alone. Cadance couldn't help but wonder, did she escape from the changelings? "Anypony?" the mare cried again with fear and desperate hope. Observing her, the Princess paid attention to a trail of glistening blood still going from the mare's hindleg. It could've been broken, given the erratic movements of the mare. Cadance doubted that any changeling would've been able to emulate that.  "I can't..." the Princess of Love leaned into Shining and clutched her chest. "I can't..." Her husband looked at her with understanding, caressing her mane and then cradling her like he would a child. She felt grateful, losing herself in his warmth. "Steel your heart, Cadenza." "Please, someone, anyone," the little pony uttered helplessly, glancing along the dark houses. "I don't know where I am..." Cadance sobbed and pressed into Shining harder. Anger was rising its ugly head inside, a wicked vicious thing. "We need to get out there and take her with us. We can't leave her," she mumbled, even though she knew it is an awful idea. She looked up at Shining, hoping that he will agree with the decision and his final word will relinquish her of responsibility for making a mistake. "We need to stay put," he smiled sorrowfully. She nodded, trying to push away the unnecessary thoughts. "Steel your heart..." "A-anyone? Anyone, please..." They steadied their breath, waiting until it was over. This waiting was gnawing on her. Is she too fearful and pathetic, too weak? If she can't save even one pony, what use is she? When the mare finally passed their hiding place and moved away considerably, Shining shushed Cadance and glanced up the street. About a dozen of changelings were slowly following the mare, keeping their distance. Through the pain, Cadance redoubled her efforts with the invisibility shroud. There was shuffling on the tiles of the rooftops above her head. Cadance quickly glanced there. Right above, there was another predator, warily looking around from the vantage point. Cadance witnessed how it was joined by several more. One of them made a strange clicking sound with their throat, and others nimbly stood at attention. The Princess could hardly believe Stygian's theories about their similarities to ponies. Creatures were nothing alike—lean, scrawny, filled with holes—just like their 'mistress'. Their murky blue eyes were incessantly scanning the area. Shining's hooves on her shoulders tensed. He, too, realized that something was terribly wrong. One of them jumped right into the puddle, barely a hoofstep away. Cadance opened her eyes widely, almost feeling the creature's breath on her coat. Slowly, very slowly, it moved its muzzle around, sniffing the air. Its hungry gaze lingered right where they stood. Cadance waited for the monster to move. The seconds were passing like slow torture. Its horn lit up with radiant green. Cadance unsheathed the sword, revealing herself, and separated its head in one swift blow.  Before the monster's head could roll to the ground, others had already leaped on the alicorn. Cadance swung her sword with precision, striking down one monster after another. Pity and disgust, and fear, even love, everything went away—she was just a mare, moved by instinct. "Cadance!" Two of the beasts hung on her husband, pinning him to the wall. Cadance snarled and launched a bright ray from her horn, felling them with a swift jerk of her head. She leaped and turned with fluid grace, erecting a barrier in front of the rest of the changelings. "Here!" She heard their hiss: "The big sneaky pony!" Shining slid down onto the ground, panting. Cadance glanced at his pale muzzle, then back at the creatures. Those beasts were incessant in their persistence. They were trying to break her shield with all the might they had. She could hardly count how many there were, and still more kept coming, pouring from somewhere close. "What, we were followed by the whole Hive?" she thought grimly. "So much for being quiet." Through all their buzzing and primal hisses, she heard their taunts: "You belong to our mistress now, ponies!" "Surrender!" "You belong to us!" Shining seemed strangely calm. His gaze constantly surveyed the magic barrier, noting cracks, which number just kept growing, despite all of alicorn's efforts. "Shining, I won't give in to her alive again," Cadance said in a clear, collected voice. She turned, looking at him starkly. The sword trembled in her grasp. "I won't." She repeated, wide-eyed. He showed some emotion and smiled reassuringly, tracing his eyes from the blade to her muzzle, then back. He took a breath. "What, are you going to give up, Cadance? That easily? Before breaking all teeth in Chryssie's snide grin?" Despite everything, she smiled back. "You won't leave Flurry alone, won't you?" Shining spoke in a demanding, almost accusatory tone. "Of course not!" She scowled passionately. A warm feeling washed all over her, and she turned back to the damnable changelings. Her horn lit up like a little star. "No, never!" The thoughts of her girl were giving her more strength. Sensing it, love-sucking monsters began to try to break her barrier only more eagerly. Tears streamed down her muzzle. Shining slowly got up, clinging to the wall. His voice was resolute: "Dove, I think I have enough juice for a teleportation spell." She glared at him, daring to feel hopeful. He grimaced and grasped her hoof. Energy began surging from his horn. His loud, clear, and soft tone brought her back to her senses: "It won't be pretty, so you'd better be ready. I'm no Twilight and I'm out of practice with long distances, and not used to do it with others." "It doesn't matter," she shook her head fervently, barely keeping up the barrier. "Just get us out. I'll grab you and fly away right after. They won't catch us; our friends aren't that far." "Yeah, yeah..." He winced and pointed with a wounded foreleg somewhere towards the hospital. "That direction?" She smiled widely at him and nodded. Shining leaned his forehead against her, and Cadance embraced him, burying her face in his mane. He whispered with a mirthless smile. "Too bad I can't just toss you out of here, right?" She realized what he is going to do and tried to push him away. Too late. There was no fanfare or further parting words from him. As the spell enveloped her, there was only a strong pulling sensation, and Cadance immediately found herself falling, flailing and turning in the air. Something colorful appeared before her, and all she could do was raise her forelegs, protecting her head. Being wrapped in the canvas from wedding decoration, she fell limply on hard ground, groaned from aching all over her body, and immediately began furiously tearing her way out. "Bastard, why?" She kept hissing in scornful pain, searing deep. "Why, why, why? I've found you, I've found you, why? It isn't fair!" Her sword was lost somewhere in the process, but she found the hilt and rose with a bewildered look. She was on the shore of one of many rivers of the city. Shining happened to be precise, she fell barely a hundred steps from the bridge. She could cross it and reach the hospital in mere minutes. One of her delicate wings was twisted after the fall, and the Princess began limping, stirred by a sensation of impending danger. She tore into the wing with teeth, fixing it fastly. The pain went through her shoulder and spine. Fine, it's fine. She already heard buzzing overhead, and with a brief glance at the changelings, still hounding her, broke into an unsteady, uneven run. One, brave enough, tried to stop her by jumping in front. Cadance trained her long horn and skewered the creature through the chest. Changeling slid from it almost immediately, and fell under her, being trampled by hooves. She heard wet crunching but only gained more pace. Freedom was near. Another one foolishly threw itself at her, and she smashed into it with her shoulder, sending the creature to the nearby wall. Magical rays rained. One of them stung her side. Cadance whinnied, stubbornly lowered her head. She took a sharp turn to the bridge and almost fell in the treacherous slippery dirt. Two equine figures were already hurrying towards her, their armor glistened in the moonlight. Her ponies... They seemed like from another world... "Crystal Princess!" Ivory Rook caught her in hooves. She groaned, fervently trying to pull away from the grasp. "Shining!..." she wailed, being pushed to the side of the bridge. She glanced back in fright and sharply lurched forward. More changelings were coming, more of their rays were biting into the stone all around. Beam Flitter moved to shield them, taking some of the blow in the process. "She is in shock." Ivory Rook pulled her, then went underneath. Cadance found herself being carried on his back, like some worthless load. All the strength she had gained from adrenaline was leaving her fast. The two guards barely shared a nod, and Ivory began galloping. Cadance propped herself to keep looking, nonetheless. Changelings lunged on the remaining Beam Flitter, who fought them bravely. Dark figures went down under his spear and punches, but they just kept coming. It was all for naught. All just senseless and fruitless. Before Cadance lost sight of the scene, she saw how the creatures of the dark lifted the guard, screaming and kicking, into the air. She realized: they were feeding on his love and devotion for her. That should be it. In their ravenousness, they were tearing the pony apart. ═════════════════════════════ 𒀭𒀭𒀭 ═════════════════════════════ 𒄈 'The soldier's life is one of sacrifice,' Shining Armor once said in one of his most serious moments. Cadance agreed, but her heart did not. 'Dear, sacrifice is a balancing act too, don't you know?' she replied. 'Maybe we can look at it without the absolutes. You aren't just a soldier, you are a pony first.' He just smiled, the fool. Cadance kept thinking of this sad smile, as she stepped on her unfamiliarly weak legs. Both Stygian and Commander Flash Magnus were aiding her, even Prince Blueblood was near and tried to do something helpful. She figured out from the chatter that guards cleared out most of the changelings overnight, and the last of them were infesting the area around the Royal Palace. It didn't do much to sway her decision. The alicorn of Love stood tall in sight of everyone who gathered. She was thinking of the war that might yet occur. Words scraped her throat: "Twilight had lost. Celestia had turned her to stone. I am returning to the Crystal Empire."