Retreating Resuscitations
Sunset
Before I could continue my assault having reduced the ornate altar to nothing more than sluggish lava, a compounding chorus of echoing bells erupted in a discordant fervor that culminated into an almost soothing chime. My blood froze into jagged chips within my veins as I swiftly glanced back to ensure that Cadance was still safe after I had ruined the pathetic sculpture. She was not, for there once more were the beginnings of obliteration forming around my partner. There wasn’t time to contemplate my next actions as I ripped at the meager remnants of my life and forced the world to halt its forward momentum.
Ignoring the frigid coating of winter I forced myself to cut through the deteriorating reality as I reappeared by Cadance’s side. She was frozen stiff and if not for the rapid palpitations of her heart as it strained within her chest I would have thought her dead. The thought did little more than increase the chill that now formed a great pane of ice within my chest. That pane of ice shattered into sharpened shards as I forced the two of us through the Aether, not caring for where exactly we were deposited, only that we would be safe from the obliterating entropy that had been summoned forth into reality. The rays of Celestia’s frozen Sun once more wrapped me in their phantom warmth as I began to fall through a drab sky of grays.
I confirmed that even as worthless as I was, I had at least managed to temporarily save my partner. If this was the same form of temporal rift then I knew we should likely have been far enough away due to the primary angle of the spell. Scoffing as the faint sensation of flight that I had never fully achieved was lost and replaced with the ever-familiar descent into an awaiting doom that beckoned from far below.
Doing my best with the few precious moments before impact, I attempted to contort Cadance’s body in such a way that she wouldn’t impact the ground first, bemoaning the lack of any purely physical strength that I held. I managed to somewhat complete my task, it would have to be enough with her constitution and whatever pitiful dregs of magic I could scrape from my now-frozen blood. The descent wasn’t even halted by my feather-falling charm, not with the added weight from my partner, at best it was fractionally slowed. I would take such a meager advantage even now, for Cadance was still yet mortal.
Turning from my partner for what would likely be the last time, Cadance for all of her talents wasn’t able to prevent some pony from dancing with the reaper. I faced the encroaching ground that promised a far swifter end than what I likely deserved. Ignoring the echoes of screeching laughter that sang promises of salvation just beyond my ears, I instead prepared what would be my final spell. A humble cushioning charm.
For once Celestia would likely be proud of me… hopefully she could still be proud of me. Perhaps in this single action, I would manage to redeem myself in her eyes. For in what would be my last moments I wasn’t cursing whoever had managed to slay me, no I was instead focussed on saving another. Saving the one that she Loved as her own family. The one that she had adopted. The one that she had claimed as her own.
Even if I wasn’t there to bear witness to it, would she forget my multitude of failures and blackened stains? Choosing to allow the fights that had broken our once beautiful relationship to be forgiven? Perhaps after I was gone she would even think of me as something more than a pony that she had saved. More than the monster I was born to be. More than the demon that we both knew I was.
Amid those somber thoughts, the cushioning spell prepared for that final moment before impact, my efforts were thankfully wasted as I felt Cadance finally stirring atop me. It took her far longer than I would have hoped to register that I was about to become one of the strangest forms of a cushion for her sake. But eventually, thanks to my screams and curses I would no doubt assume, she caught me in her hooves and flew us away from the ground that had been closing in on us.
“Thank Celestia that you were born a Pegasus.” I couldn’t help but exclaim as I was set down upon the still gray ground. Shakily I threw my legs around my partner and gave her the biggest hug I could. “I swear to Celestia that I will never attempt to fly without wings of my own.” I continued rambling the first thing that came to mind no matter how stupid it was. Even if I had burned away another year of my life, I was alive, that alone gave me some reason to let myself ramble into the mane of my mare friend who had just saved me once more.
Cadance awkwardly just returned the hug after a moment’s pause, her wings entrapping me within them as the world around us faded back from the gray coloration I had forced upon it. With the fading of the gray, I was reminded about the cost of the spell I had reflexively cast, another year of my life had just been burned away. In the comfort of my mare friends' embrace, I couldn’t bring myself to care, whether or not it was due to just pure emotional exhaustion or some other more benign reason I knew not. I didn't care. Not when I was within my mare friends' warm embrace.
“Sunset?” Cadance managed to speak my name after a few stuttering attempts, I simply nodded into the crook of her neck as I confirmed that we were both still alive. I wasn’t sure who was attempting to kill the both of us with the aftershock of temporal magic but I was getting sick of it. Especially since it meant that I had likely died again.
Did Tirek manage to get one over us? Did whatever lay within the crypt prove to be more than I could handle? Did I at least manage to protect Cadance? Did I ensure that she once more survived? “Sunset, are you attempting to strangle me?” Immediately I relaxed my grip around her as my stomach dropped at her question, the remnants of ice continued to shatter even further as they were pulled through my still-chilled veins.
Pushing myself backward, I found myself still caught within her wings so just awkwardly existed while Cadance continued to sort out her thoughts of what had no doubt just happened. “Sunset… what are you?” My partner’s voice was lost even as the words parted from her lips she sounded as if she didn’t know what it was she was asking.
“I am Sunset Shimmer, your partner, the greatest Unicorn ever born, and future Alicorn,” I responded after spending a short moment ensuring that my answer was satisfactory. Then realizing that she still may have been suffering under some manner of duress thanks to the reversed moments I attempted my usual checkup of her. Only to swallow a sharp hiss as coils of sharpened ice rattled within my chest. “Cadance I would usually never rush you through whatever you just experienced but you may want to recall your two guards as right now I can’t protect you.” I could currently throw myself at Tirek to distract him and that was about it and that was so far less than satisfactory that I didn’t know how to accurately describe it.
“Just give me a moment,” Cadance said, her voice still slow but it was in a single take this time so I counted that as progress. Perhaps I should have spent some time ensuring that I could help some pony with their problems instead of how to manipulate them… I couldn’t help the morose chuckle that formed at the back of my throat at the thought. I was utterly chained by her and even if the key was within my hooves I wouldn’t choose to escape. Why would I want to? What would I gain from escaping back into the hell I had done no more than survive within?
While Cadance was still adjusting to her memories of whatever had happened I kept watching the best I could through her soft feathers… I did the best I could, but I wasn’t exactly the larger pony in our relationship. Even if I wasn’t entirely certain I had stopped growing I knew that unless I ascended that I would remain the smaller pony. Even if… when, when I ascended I would still prefer to be the smaller pony as I wouldn’t want to give up the current arrangement that we had for anything. Liar. This intermingling of limbs and feathers was ours alone and I wouldn’t dare alter it.
After taking another few minutes to allow her heart to stop the fit it had fallen into and catch her breath, Cadance once more spoke. “Alright, where are we?” She asked as she finally set me free from her wings. She dodged my attempts to catch her gaze as she stared at the sky, at the Sun that dutifully continued above. Bathing all who but one with its caring warmth.
“We should be about 5,000 trots to the east of Hollow Shades” I answered seeing that I had no doubt done something once more to upset my partner, this time I didn’t even have the chance to puzzle out what it was that I had done to her. Ignoring the way that I was once more ignored by an Alicorn for the moment as I attempted to spy Hollow Shades through the treeline but saw nothing but greenery. “Cadance I know that-” That was the wrong thing to say as Cadance finally met my gaze, her purple eyes filled with an endless array of razor-edged crystals. None of the gentle kindness that I had often found within my partner's eyes was to be seen.
“Sunset you right now both know far less than I would like and no doubt far more than what you have shared with me.” Cadance all but hissed out as she brusquely interrupted me, her eyes alight with the intent that I would have described as murderous within the gaze of any other creature. In her eyes, it was almost eldritch. Within her eyes right now, however, I couldn’t even begin to sort out the eldritch emotions that rampaged between the prepared blades of crystal. “I… I just need a bit longer to clear my head… Let's just get back to Hollow Shades.” She finished far calmer than she had begun, no longer was it a righteous anger that clung to her words, no it was exhausted. A wave of blistering anger that knew it should be burning bright against the unfairness that had been suffered but could no longer find the sustenance to fuel it.
I could only remain silent as she grabbed me both within her hooves and her magic as we took to the skies. An Alicorn and a Unicorn were silently flying towards their next destination, with the former displeased with the latter. This was a story that I was far too intimately familiar with. One that I had experienced more than once. Forcing a smile to my lips to replace the scowl I knew was written upon them, on the off chance that Cadance looked down at me I wouldn’t want to further incense her. Not that she even glanced at where I was carefully suspended within her hoofs, even as she carefully put me down in an empty alley next to the Shattershield Inn she still refused to look at me.
I glared at any pony that seemed far too interested in the spectacle that had been performed as we exited the once-empty alley. Even without my flames, I was still able to have the masses before me cowed with only my glare. A small thanks was muttered by my partner who was searching through the thronging mess of ponies that were making their way through the streets until she paused in her search and began to move with purpose through the ponies. I contemplated moving with her to where she had spotted her two Watching Eyes but decided against it before I moved more than a single hoof after her. It was as she said, she needed a little longer.
I would give as much time as she needed. Against all odds she had stayed with me for this long, the chances that she would finally correct that mistake were… It didn’t matter. It would be fine. It had to be fine.
I couldn’t have screwed it up so horrifically that… No, it didn’t matter even if I did. I promised. I would keep my word. If anything more remained that was to be decided by her.
Even if nothing remained I knew where the Alicorn Amulet resided. I knew exactly what I had to do to retrieve even more information. I knew exactly where the former lord still was all by his lonesome, no doubt lost within a crypt fleeing from the defenses and protectors that resided within. It would be amusing to come across his corpse when I returned to claim the prize that awaited me.
One that had managed to escape my clutches so long ago. One that I had sworn forgotten. One that had been reforged into but a shadow of its proposed power that had been inferior in all accounts. Now it's original wielded by that…
My train of thought was interrupted as Cadance returned, escorted by the two Watching Eyes who both looked as if they had just been informed of their imminent death… She didn’t… She absolutely did.
“You told them that they were obliterated, didn't you?” I couldn’t help the chuckle that was let out with my words. The way that my mare friend flushed the same shade of red that I was currently colored was nearly too much as I nearly fell to the ground wracked with the laughter the confirmation had brought. “Sweet Princess Celestia, thank you, Umbra. I needed that.” Wiping away the liquid weakness that had formed in my laughter I returned my eyes to my mare friend and awaited for the sign of what was to come.
“I hate you, Dawn.” She huffed out as she moved past me towards the door to the Shattershield Inn, wrenching it open and gesturing with a single movement of her head for the three of us to enter. The two Watching Eyes hesitated, I didn’t. I strided to her side all but bleeding the great relief that I felt.
The two Watching Eyes didn’t stay behind their target for long, not with me next to her. They followed us inside and received the majority of the shadowed looks that were tossed our way. Those shadowed gazes did nothing more than dare look however as they looked at the two so-called ‘Royal’ guards and then at me. Which one they backed down after seeing was obvious, so obvious that the annoying one pointed it out to the hushed one.
The bartender was going to speak up but I silenced the mule with a hoof full of bits which I all but threw at him with mediocre accuracy. Even with my poor aim, he managed to acquire the bits before a single one of his patrons could snag them. With our so-called due paid for bringing Princess Celestia’s light into this place enshrouded in darkness, we continued forth towards mine and Cadance’s currently rented room.
I tapped Cadance with a hoof to get her to pause as we neared our door. Taking a moment to allow myself a moment to sink into my already spun magic I allowed the two Watching Eyes entry without grievous injury and likely death. “They can safely enter,” I announced as I fished the key from my saddlebag and opened the door. The Princess and her two spies silently entered and I followed, having locked the door behind us. The silence was immediately broken by the annoying one immediately speaking up.
“So I knew the two of you are close but I have to ask if it was a cost-saving thing?” The annoying one prodded into our relationship. “Or is it more of you don’t want to be apart from your special pony.”
“Both I have a limited amount of bits currently with me and it is nice to sleep with Cadance.” My answer began as a simple blunt declaration but by the end of it, I was for some reason all but forcing myself to continue explaining my line of reasoning. I would have expanded on my thought processes if not for my partner speaking up.
“Sunset, that was a joke.” Cadance clarified for my sake while she uncovered her hood, once more a dusting of red upon her normally pink cheeks. “Alright so… Where to begin…” She attempted to begin this… meeting would be a good description but was struggling to find where to start. Eventually, she found a good starting place as she began once more in earnest. “The Pony of Shadows has the Alicorn Amulet and is currently in the Well of Shade. I am almost certain that it was your imaginary pony that attacked you after we made up, back in Celestia’s Castle. Oh, also Tirek is currently still in the crypt.” Cadance was currently two for two, for having the Watching Eyes struck down in both horror and amazement. I had to intentionally work on a pony to have them react in this manner, yet she could involuntarily cause such distress. It was impressive.
Wait… It was here? That shade was here? The one that wasn’t truly a shade? The one that dared best me! The one that dared beat me! That shadowed pony was beneath my very hooves! That wretched thing held the Amulet that would allow me to Ascend!
My blood barely warmed at the revelation of such a fact, so little remained unfrozen within my veins after all. I would have to prepare my revenge for that pony that wasn’t a shade. It would learn why I was the greatest Unicorn to have ever lived! It would suffer under the great tribulations of my flames! It would suffer as I pulled it apart piece by piece and learned what made it tick!
It may have bested me once but it wouldn’t be able to do so again! I would be ready for its shadowed assault! I would be ready for the shield that it stole from Celestia! I would be waiting enwreathed within flames that would destroy that darkness that it called home! It would be reduced to nothing more than ashes that would be forever lost upon the winds! Never to be remembered! Never to be reformed! Never to be restored in any condition!
Forcing myself from my pleasurable delusions I interrupted my partner’s discussion with her two Watching Eyes. “Which was it? The former lord or the non-shade? Which one killed me? Which one dared attack you?” Even as I asked my question I knew it didn’t matter. I would be all too happy to carbonize them both. They both deserved such a kind fate, and I would happily assist them in achieving it. Even with my veins currently filled with one large creature of ice I would be happy to use their flesh to thaw the frozen waste of blood. They would bring me warmth as they burned before my hooves.
“What do you mean in regards to killing you?” The non-annoying of the two Watching Eyes questioned and was ignored by every pony within the room as my partner spoke.
“No, pony killed you Sunset.” There was something I was missing from her words. With the way the daggers of crystals shifted within her eyes that were colored with exhaustion, I had to be missing something. “Neither of those two monsters had the chance to attack me.” She continued as her gaze continued to search for something in my eyes.
I wasn’t sure what it was she was looking for within my soul but I hoped that she found whatever it was. That I wasn’t lacking something vital that she required to see within me. She continued with her previous conversation that I had interrupted after turning away from me. Even as I attempted to bring myself back from my mind to listen to the words she was speaking I could do little but let the waft past my ears.
Eventually, it seemed the focus had turned from informing the two Watching Eyes that they would be staying with us two for the remainder of our stay in Hollow Shades, not that they could do much, towards Cadance relaying actual vital information she had managed to gleam before she had been shunted backward in time. “The Alicorn Amulet is being worn by the Pony of Shadows, who is not a figment from an old mare’s tale…” Cadance trailed off as her eyes keenly observed me. Waiting for some manner of reaction, taking a shallow breath I gave my partner a nod and waited for whatever else she had acquired. Her crystalline that threatened to shatter should I once more disappoint her.
Thankfully she continued describing what little she had managed to see of the crypt, beyond the reception room that I had burned our way into. It seemed that it would not be a straight shot toward my now-named foe that had previously bested me. It would fall to my flames and I would claim the amulet that would allow me to transcend my current form and be reborn as an Alicorn. Ascension would be mine at last, I would bridge the divine divide that had taunted me since I had been able to comprehend it!
The discussion turned from an almost useful thing, however much informing the two spies of our plans could be, into an amusingly awkward affair for my partner as she had revealed what else was within the crypt. Or more specifically who else, the annoying Watching Eye didn’t even attempt to make a poor jest of the situation, no it had fallen as silent as its partner. When the two Watching Eyes had finally decided to question my partner’s plans I stayed silent and allowed her to explain her reasonings. They balked at using a curse to corral the ancient centaur but fell silent when I confirmed that it had been done.
“I will be right back, don’t…” The female spy trailed off as she alternated staring between its charge and the threat that had been sleeping with her. Eventually after glancing over at Cadance and me one final time she silently left the room. Leaving a silence that didn’t even last as the annoying one once more spoke up.
“Have to say, Princess, not the smartest move.” Its voice held conviction that made it seem like there was some manner of warrior beyond the jester guise that it wore. “Gentle and I would have appreciated any form of heads up, considering that Lord Tirek has managed to escape from Tartarus and Princess Celestia is still unaware of the fact.”
“She already suspects such a fact, if not outright knows. Do not pretend that Princess Celestia is so blind to turn away from a potential threat to her ponies.” She would do whatever it took to protect the ponies that she cared for. Any that existed beyond that distinction would be left to wither in the cold. But for those precious fools that she embraced within her protection, she would act as the stalwart defender she had always been.
The annoying spy met my gaze and didn’t even have the grace to falter when it locked eyes with the demon. No, instead I watched as it attempted to read me. Understand my words and extrapolate my true intentions. Did it not realize that I spoke the truth? Princess Celestia's insights were beholden to no limit beyond the ones that she set. With the mirror held within the depths of her stronghold, she could divine the future with but a glance alone.
Seeing that whatever steel that had been hidden behind mockeries and japes had yet to crack I continued. “With me by Cadance’s side, you and your partner were not needed.”
“Yet we are now.” His voice finally matched in tone with his supposed age and not one of equal years to mine. “Because you can’t currently protect her, you can no longer stand against the world and come out the victor.” That was categorically false Princess Celestia would put me down without a second thought if it was between me and all of Equus. I knew how that altercation would end.
I knew how our end would finally conclude, it had long ago been written. The Alicorn and the Unicorn. The Princess and the Student. The Sun and the demon. The victor and the defeated.
“I only asked for your assistance because I was unwilling to gamble with your Princess's life!” I spat into the face of the idiotic fool before me. Anger lit my blood into a comforting inferno that spread throughout my entire being, cleansing the ice that had formed in our earlier retreat. “Your charge who refuses to realize how much danger she is in as she continues to bumble through the darkness! The darkness that Princess Celestia should have illuminated or at least taught her to navigate.” The very darkness that I had found my calling in.
My horn dug into the throat of the so-called gilded guard as I ripped what little heat I had managed to generate to the tip of it. “So I have taken up the task to protect her because I…” My tongue caught on the words that were half-formed before I choked on them. I could all but feel the piercing gaze of my mare friend from behind me attempting to burn through my mane and into my thought process. To glean from my mind what it was that I was about to say.
“Yet you can’t fully protect her, Sunset you can’t even protect yourself.” I had been protecting myself for nearly five years at this point! “Alicorn or strongest Unicorn in a few generations you both are just two ponies that shouldn’t be in this situation. That is why Princess Celestia has tasked both Gentle and I with protecting the both of you.” The fool took advantage of my involuntary stop to continue his argument, uncaring that my horn was poised to blow his head clean from his body. “We could have requested some form of assistance, backup, or even a place for you both to stay.”
Managing to get my tongue untied from the knot that it had been caught within I prepared my rebuttal only to fall silent as Cadance interjected.
“Why shouldn’t we be in this situation?” I could have kissed her for the amount of venom that was concealed within that question. You know what? I will kiss her the first opportunity I get for that masterfully trapped question that would have put Princess Celestia in her place.
“Because you both should be learning who you are in some sort of school, sneaking out booze from Princess Celestia’s cupboard and enjoying your youth together. Not making deals with ancient sorcerers for an evil artifact that alters its wearer's mind.” I swallowed a pearl of flames that formed on my tongue, his words as annoying as they were, were spoken truthfully. He truly believed that both Cadance and I were too young for this. Was he not a part of the Royal Guard when I had bathed in the blood of Equestria's foes? When I had been tossed aside by Celestia? When I had been abandoned by the one pony that had been my Mother in all but name?
“If you truly think that then you are even more blind than Cadance.” I spat as I pulled away from the foolish stallion that had refused to be cowed. Returning to my partner’s side she gave me a light shove with her hoof for my most recent barb but otherwise let me under the crook of her wing as we both stared down the guard. Only for all of our eyes to turn towards the opening of the door and the spy took one look at the current hostilities that it had interrupted. It then proceeded to offer up the tray carrying four glasses and a great pitcher filled with a dark liquid.
The guard that Cadance and I had been staring down broke immediately at the sight of his partner.
“You can never again claim to be more mature than me if your response to all of that is to get the Princess and her mare friend drunk!” He half shouted, utterly astounded by the sight that was the silent spy closing the door behind it and placing down the glass cups before each of the three of us. “Seriously, what in Tartarus are you thinking, Gentle? They're not exactly old enough to be drinking it legally.” He questioned his partner’s sanity the same as I did.
“Tensions were rising. Princess Celestia isn’t here and at least one of them, if not both, have already wet their whistle. Princess Cadance is an Alicorn, I don’t think she can get drunk off of this and if Sunset Shimmer were to get drunk I don’t believe there would be any negatives, only positives.” She blandly orated to the room that was silenced by her actions all the while she poured out a full glass for both herself and her partner before motioning for Cadance’s and mine glasses.
“Gentle, I don’t think that any of us should be well… risk becoming inebriated.” Cadance was the only pony in this room that had any semblance of intelligence. Gentle just stared down the Princess whose wing was wrapped around me until she continued. “Can you at least explain the method of your madness?” Cadance’s voice reminded me of when she asked for clarification of my plans.
“Too overly simplify you two, don't trust us and we don’t trust you.” I would have brought up the fact that I was the only pony that they didn’t trust but my tongue was held by the morbid curiosity that she was leading towards. “This is a peace offering, we need to have some manner of trust built. Ponies are stronger together when we can unite as one force. I do not like our chances against Lord Tirek, let alone against this Pony of Shadows.” I was not expecting a friendship speech of all things to come from her mouth. I mean I knew it should have been a possibility but still…
“You’re as insane as Sunset,” Cadance muttered under her breath as she shifted her hold on me. I was nothing more than a cold body currently. Towards the single question on her face, I could do nothing but pause and slightly nod my head. With my acceptance of this peace offering Cadance pushed our glasses forward as the female guard… Gentle filled ours only halfway before pushing them back with her wing. Cadance let go of me as she reached for her cup.
Gingerly I grabbed my own with my hoofs, I wasn’t willing to waste any magic on proper decorum now of all times, and sniffed at it. It didn’t make me immediately retch like the hard cider that I had stolen, that was likely a good sign if I correctly remembered that alcohol was a type of poison. Seeing the two guards across from us take a sip from their cups I tried some myself.
I didn't get any on Cadance and that was the best way I could put what had happened after I had taken a sip.
“With you fully drinking that bottle of hard cider I would have assumed that you could hold your liquor better.” Cadance chortled at me while she spun a quick cleaning spell. I glared at her as she snorted into her glass.
I would show her, and with that stupid thought fueling my actions I once more took a swig of the still-unnamed drink that tasted of blueberries. I triumphantly grinned at my partner as I managed to keep down the liquid that gave off a minuscule amount of heat. It was almost incomparable to the amount that my partner freely gave, yet the drink still afforded me another shred of warmth.
“How come you aren’t…” I coughed out gesturing at Cadance as my coughing grew too much for my words. Alicorn or not, she was taking it far too well.
“When I turned 15 my parents let me get into some of their drinks as a birthday present.” Cadance’s smile was not for me, no it was one for the ponies that had raised her. The two that had sacrificed themselves for her. “It is nice to be more skillful than you for one more thing.” This sly smile that teased across her face was most certainly for me.
I shot her a warm glare in response to her words before I continued sipping at my own. I wasn’t in any hurry to put on a repeat performance that had happened previously. It appeared that every pony agreed in that regard, savoring the sweet drink but ensuring that they kept their mental facilities.
Cadance finally got up as she polished off her glass before I had even gotten halfway through mine, and moved over towards Gentle to both talk in a hushed manner and get a refill. I would have attempted to eavesdrop but Rebound made his way over towards me, no doubt seeing the opportunity without his charge by my side.
“I can see the darkness for what it is but I still believe that you two should not be doing this.” The stallion muttered out as he sat next to me, his drink not even a quarter full. “Princess Celestia sees some benefit in having the two of you traipsing around Equestria, I don’t, but it isn’t my decision in the end.”
“No, it isn’t. You have neither a horn cresting upon your head nor a crown adorning you.” I cooly replied half attempting to mentally shove him away without touching upon my precious dregs of magic that had returned to me. “Neither of us is an Alicorn so we must follow their lead, their orders, and their eternal decrees.” For they were blessed beyond us wretched failures that wallowed in the light of their very existence.
“Celestia’s Supple ass-” The glare that targeted the wasted flesh and sentience had it swallowing its words as it choked on its spit. “I was trying to apologize.” If it was attempting to apologize then it was doing a poorer job than I usually did. “Look I meant what I said, we aren’t here to spy on you, we are here to ensure that the two of you are safe that's it. Gentle and I could have, probably should have, immediately ran off and alerted some of the guards in town of who exactly was in town but we didn’t. Give us a chance to do our jobs and you might be surprised.” With that, he sauntered back to his partner as Cadance came back to me.
Once more I was caught within her grasp as she snuggled beside me. It was pleasant not immediately worrying about the next task that must be accomplished. It reminded me of when it was just the two of us in my hideout. No, it was far better we were partners in so many ways now.
The Sun above continued its journey while the four of us spent the rest of the day within the room, only sending out Rebound to acquire some food before the Sun began its descent and began to plunge Hollow Shades into darkness. The drinks and food cleared, and the room was somewhat clean thanks to Cadance. As I watched the Sun be lost behind the horizon, we began to get settled in for the night.
“I can feel the disrespect of our juniors. Forcing us to the cold hard ground while the two of you younglings enjoy the delight that is a bed.” Rebound whined out while he held onto his partner for ‘support’. Said partner was making herself comfortable upon the blanket that Cadance had given. Her reasoning was something that even now warmed my bones, that we wouldn’t need it, as I gave off more than enough warmth.
I gave off warmth even when entombed in ice? When my veins lie frozen? Where my very heart was nothing more than a cooled reactor?
“I do believe that I am a Princess?” Cadance asked to the room and as I nodded an unneeded confirmation into her wing she continued. “You should be glad that I have deigned to give you the blanket.” She had also enchanted it to soften the so-called harshness of the floor.
“Damn. Bringing out the royalty card. Can't argue against that. Gentle, help me out here… Fine.” Rebound asked for assistance and instead of helping her partner, she was content to close her eyes and rest her head upon him. “Do remember that the two of us will be in the room in case the two of you want to-” That was as far as he got before Cadance silenced him, I didn’t need to see my partner's face to know that it held the same reddened complexion as mine.
With nothing more to keep me distracted, I fell into Cadance. Embraced by my mare friend, my ally, my partner. Further falling until I once more was standing before the Sun that lit the path forth. Allowing all those that it claimed as its own to travel in the blazing trail it had set.
Even now as I waited for my nightly ritual to begin anew I could still feel her softness, her care, her very warmth that she shared with me. I focused on those phantom feelings as the sky darkened, and the Sun was threatened upon all sides by the encroaching darkness. Until eventually it could struggle no more and was utterly consumed by the promised darkness.
Opening my eyes once more I met the most beautiful purple eyes I had ever seen, whose crystalline constructs glistened in the morning Sun. Whose shimmering tri-colored mane cupped her face which held a smile that was reserved for me. She melted away the final fragments of cold that had remained hidden as I leaned forward and caught her lips in mine.
The sweet soothing taste of honey was the beginning of this day.