//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7 
// Story: A Heart of Crystal and Glass 
// by Mani-Roar 
//------------------------------//

The Crystal Castle halls were silent, but my mind was screaming with thoughts. It had been hours since Captain Flash had left to chase after the attacking Changelings. It would probably be too late once they got there. It was too late last time. The hive was fast. They got in and out before a response could be mustered. We would need to have guards closer to the attack. But, how would we know their next target? We didn’t have enough soldiers to station at every town and village. That’s why Shining Armor had requested reinforcements from Equestria, to which Celestia had frustratingly declined. 

We were on our own.

Shining and I had retired to one of the many lounges to discuss all of these points. We talked in circles. So many ifs and unknowns made it impossible to come up with a coherent plan. After a while, I felt so stifled that I had to get up and move around. Shining seemed to understand as I excused myself from the room. I wandered the halls aimlessly, taking in the decorations. The castle was enormous. There were so many levels built vertically to make better use of space. The artwork in the halls consisted of various paintings, tapestries, sculptures, and crystal manageries. All of them were unique. No matter how many different halls and levels I explored, I never saw the same piece twice. The talent on display was endless and magnified by the majesty of the architecture itself. The servants noticed I was seemingly looking for something, and I was asked if I needed assistance several times. Eventually they got the message that I was just roaming. No one had bothered me for some time. Except for the occasional smile and head nod/bow. 

I was lost in thought for so long, I almost didn’t notice the sudden bustling of movement in the hallways. Servants were scampering around and chatting loudly. Some relaying instructions, delegating tasks, and giving orders. I tuned in to pay attention to one conversation and heard that the royal guard had returned from the attacked village. How long had they been back? Was Flash already meeting with Shining Armor? I needed to get back to him now. I was pretty sure I knew which level I needed to head to. I asked a passing servant just to be safe.

“Excuse me, where is Prince Shining Armor and Captain Flash Sentry?” The servant bowed and then blinked at me, somewhat confused. 

“My lady,” The emerald crystal pegasus said. “Shining Armor is two floors down in the west lounge of that level.” He hadn’t moved in all the time I had been walking. I guess there wasn’t really anything else to do while waiting. I wanted to move, and he wanted to sit still. Different coping mechanisms I supposed. “From what I understand, Captain Flash Sentry briefed Prince Shining Armor on the… events of the town.” He avoided calling it an attack. I suppose it was unpleasant to think about your home being a war zone. “However, the Captain is not with the Prince anymore.”

I had missed the briefing. Some Princess I was. I spent so much time spacing out, I didn’t even notice when I was needed. 

“Where is Captain Flash now?” I asked and the smooth haired servant flustered. 

“Forgive me, my lady. I am not certain.” He bowed with a slight twitch. My tone must have been too harsh. 

“No worries.” I smiled at him as he met my gaze again. “Thank you for your help.” He seemed relieved as I left him in the hallway. I would just have to go back to the lounge and hear the briefing from Shining. On the way to the closest staircase, I passed a door I had probably passed several times this night. It was an unassuming door without much fanfare in its craftsmanship compared to other rooms. It was a storage closet, but it was cracked for some reason. I didn’t see any light coming from inside, and it seemed weird that a servant would just leave the door ajar. They were usually so meticulous with everything. I guess no team is perfect. 

With my curiosity sufficiently peaked, I went to inspect the closet. I pulled it open and gasped as the hallway light revealed what was inside. Not just what, but who. There was Flash Sentry out of his armor, and Twilight Sparkle leaned against a cabinet with cleaning supplies on it. It was an odd enough sight that was enhanced by the fact that Flash’s tongue was firmly planted into Twilight’s mouth. I had literally caught them necking in a broom closet. The romance only lasted another split second as they turned in horror to see me staring down at them. 

“Cadance!”

“Princess!” They said at the same time. Twilight pushed Flash off of her and jumped to her hooves. Poor Flash was caught off guard and he smacked into a rack knocking over a broom and mop. 

“I’m sorry Flash! I just…” She shifted her front hooves. “Cadance, we were just…” Her eyes darted, not willing to look directly at me. “I was…”

“You were having a good time, it looks like.” My mouth was gaped open, and I couldn’t contain the huge smile on my face. Good for Twilight, going after her stallion. I was actually proud of her. She looked ashamed, though, as her cheeks warmed into a bright maroon against her lavender fur. 

“Princess.” Flash had gotten back up unfazed. He knelt before me with his head bowed. Royalty came with so much drama it seemed. “Please forgive my… my…

“Your what?” I laughed in front of him. “Is making out a crime?”

“I…” His cheeks burned red against his yellow fur. Both of them were just too precious for words. Acting like naughty children caught in an indecent act, when they were both adults who could make their own decisions.

“Please don’t tell anypony what you saw!” Twilight begged. She got on her knees as well with her front hooves in a praying motion. Both of them were kneeling to me at the same time. Perhaps the whole world would bow before me if I just asked. 

“I mean, sure, but why?” I shrugged my shoulders. “Is there a law against a Princess dating a royal guard?” They exchanged a nervous glance, but quickly turned away blushing more. 

“Well, no, not specifically but…” Twilight began.

“Is it a social faux pa? A taboo?” I asked and they both stammered. 

“It would certainly be a hot topic for gossip. But it’s not against court etiquette or anything.” Flash said. His eyes looked like he still expected some type of punishment. Probably from Shining Armor more than me. My eyes widened in realization.

“Because of Shining Armor.” I said and they both nodded slowly. “Well it’s not exactly up to him is it? You two should do what you want.” I tapped my hoof in protest. The closet was beginning to feel stuffy and claustrophobic. 

“Well…” Twilight began.

“We just don’t want to make him upset.” Flash finished as they continued to complete each other's sentences.

“And we also don’t want…”

“The attention…”

“Or the gossip…”

“It’s embarrassing.” They finished together. It was nauseatingly adorable.  

“Gotcha.” I nodded my head. I still couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. “So, you’re just really private about it. I’m sure the servants can arrange a meeting room and keep everyone away from it. You could do whatever you want in that room, free from prying eyes.” My grin went crooked to one side. They snapped to look at each other. I could sense the intense desire in their expressions for a brief moment before they turned away again. The love magic flowing between their essences was rich and intoxicating. Maybe I was getting some of my love magic abilities back. 

They both glowed red with embarrassment. I waited for one of them to reply to my suggestion, but they both just mumbled uncommitted partial sentences. 

“I promise I’ll keep your secret.” I rolled my eyes and decided to change the subject. “Twilight, I thought you left for Equestria. Weren’t you recalled by Celestia?”

Twilight gasped for a second before covering her mouth with her hoof.

“I was.” She rubbed her shoulder with her hoof. “I am. I was just… delayed.”

“Delayed, huh?” I cocked my eyebrow. “That sounds familiar.”

“I was all packed and waiting for the next train out of the Crystal Empire. I didn’t feel like flying all the way back to Equestria, and I wanted some time to myself to think…” She started, but closed her mouth tight. As if she was afraid of what she might say next.

“But then…” I prodded. 

“Then the Changeling attack happened.” She looked over at Flash, much more serious this time. “I saw the pegasi royal guards flying at top speed, and knew it could only mean one thing. So I followed them to the attack site.”

“I didn’t realize Twilight was the one I needed to worry about breaking protocol.” Flash narrowed his eyes at Twilight. He tried to look annoyed, but the energy passing between their essences told me otherwise. 

“I had to do something!” Twilight argued back to him. It felt like I was watching a rerun of this particular conversation. “I couldn’t just board a train, and relax with a coffee while ponies were in danger.” Twilight huffed her chest out, ready to defend her actions to the end. She truly was a dedicated Princess who cared about all of ponykind, regardless of boarders or kingdom names. 

“Sweet Celestia, you’re just like Shining Armor.” Flash Sentry replied dryly, but his face turned to panic when he saw how hurt Twilight’s expression looked.

“Is that?...” She looked and sounded so meek. “Is that a good thing?” Her cute pouty face spelled trouble for Flash. I raised my eyebrows at him, and he did his best to avoid my stare as he swallowed a lump in his throat. 

“Well, in this case…” He said. Bad start. Twilight didn’t like the qualifier on his opening. Her eyes got wider and more hurt. If he screwed this up, I had half a mind to ream him myself. “It’s a good thing of course.” Correct answer. His smile seemed to calm her down. “You’re both noble ponies, who want to protect everypony. It’s admirable.” Nice recovery, Flash. I couldn’t help but nod approvingly. 

“Y-you think I’m admirable?” Twilight shuffled her back hooves and rubbed her right front hoof over her left. 

“Y-yeah.” He rubbed the back of his blue coiffed mane. I wasn’t sure if it was a lame way he styled it or if that jagged pomp and flow was just really good helmet hair. “Of course I do.” He ran his hoof through his hair. He was cute in a boyish way. Not the rugged, mature himbo that Shining Armor was. It turned out I had a type, and it was definitely Shining Armor. I guess my memories remembered my taste in stallions. That would have been awkward.

Twilight reached out her hoof towards Flash. Her movement was so timid, it was like watching in slow motion. Flash reached out and took her hoof into his. They kept looking at each other with goofy smiles until they couldn’t stand it and looked away. This went on for several seconds.

“Well aren’t you two just too cute for words.” I giggled and they looked at me with pouty and embarrassed faces, which made me laugh out loud harder. The Equestrian Princess of Friendship, and the Crystal Empire’s Captain of the royal guard couldn’t even hold hooves without blushing like foals. “Would you like me to leave, and close the door so you can get back to it?”

They jumped with such a start, I thought they were gonna fall face first while hoof in hoof. Twilight probably would have fallen, but Flash got his footing and stabilized both of them. If they had actually started falling I would have helped too. Probably. 

“Well…” Flash swallowed again. His love magic radiated intensely in his essence. Twilight’s essence reciprocated. “I am off duty until tomorrow morning so…” Twilight cut him off in more ways than one. 

“I really do have to get back to Canterlot.” She said, and Flash looked deflated. “I’ve ‘delayed’ too long.” She gave air quotes with her hooves as she said “delayed.” 

“Right now?” Flash’s gaze was filled with wishful thinking. “Like, right now, right now?” 

“I’m sorry Flash.” She squeezed his hoof for good measure before letting it go. “There’s no trains scheduled until tomorrow. I think I’m going to just fly. I can’t sleep anyway, and I have too much pent up energy.” Her face grew bright red as she realized the way she phrased that. My face was getting sore from grinning so much. 

“You’re going to fly that far at night?” Flash looked flabbergasted. “With a Changeling threat out there? It’s not safe. I’m sorry Twilight, I have to put my hoof down on this one.”

“Are you trying to order me around, Captain?” Twilight’s eyebrow furrowed as her true Princess form came out. “In direct violation of Celestia’s orders? You’re out of your league here, Flash. Especially if you’re only saying this so that you can…” Flash interrupted her before she could finish that sentence. 

“It’s my job to ensure the safety of the royal party.” He stomped his front hoof. “I have authorization to overrule a head of state if their behavior leads them into potential danger. It says so in the Allied Equestrian Kingdom doctrine page 74 para-” Twilight interrupted him too.

“I know the paragraph and subsection you’re referring to.” She stomped her front hoof back. “You don’t have to quote it to me. I’ve read it many times.” She would have. My poor little love struck bookworm loved her dry reading materials. As much as I enjoyed witnessing their lover’s spat, I decided I would wingpony for Flash a little bit.

“Flash, why don’t you escort her to Canterlot?” Both of their heads turned to stare at me. I could hear the gears turning in their minds. “It’s too dangerous for a head of state to fly alone, so who better than the brave and intrepid Captain of the guard to ensure her safety?” I winked at Twilight as I embellished Flash. 

“I-I wouldn’t mind.” Twilight said as the shy little foal in her came back out to play. 

"But what about the Changeling threat here?" Flash pointed to the floor. "I can't just leave while the Empire needs me."

"We'll survive for a day or two until you fly back." I shrugged. "Besides, until we figure out how to catch the Changelings in the act before they can vanish, we’re basically just helping the town clean up and taking care of wounded and love drained. It feels like chasing shadows."

"You're telling me." Flash shook his head in solidarity. “Uh, well…” Flash scratched the back of his scalp. “I suppose that an escort for the Princess would be sufficient, but…”

“But what?” I rolled my eyes at his hesitation. This was your chance, dummy.

“If I’m…” his eyes landed on Twilight again. “Romantically involved with a VIP. I’m not permitted to serve as her personal guard or escort. It’s also in the doctrine.” He frowned at Twilight and she nodded with regret on her face. I sighed so loudly they looked at me a bit taken aback. 

“Ok, but nobody knows you’re romantically involved, remember.” I made air circles with my hoof, hoping these two rules lawyers would catch on. Not everything can be done by the book at all times. 

“But you know, Cadance.” Twilight pointed to me, and I was just about ready to give up on them. 

“Yes, but…” I sighed out loud again. “Do I really have to spell this out for you two?” I tapped my hoof against my forehead in frustration. The smell of the cleaning chemicals in this closet started to nauseate me. 

“If Princess Cadance is keeping our secret…” Flash began, and I perked up. 

“Then there’s no romance.” Twilight finished, and I wanted to jump around in celebration. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no room to do that in this stupid closet. The ceiling was too low, and there were shelves everywhere, leaving no elbow space. This had to be the worst possible spot they could have picked to get frisky. Even a bathroom would have been preferable. The servants kept them exceptionally clean. 

“I’ll do you one better.” I pointed straight at Flash, trying to pull out my best Princess voice. “Captain, I order you to escort Princess Twilight back to Canterlot Castle.” 

Flash instantly straightened his posture and saluted me.

“Ma’am, yes ma’am.” He said sharply. His face tried to look professional and serious, but he was obviously pleased as punch to receive the order.

“I guess we’ll say goodbye for real this time.” Twilight rubbed my shoulder and I took her hoof into mine. “Are you sure this is ok? What if Shining Armor doesn’t approve of the escort mission?”

“I’ll worry about Shining Armor. You two just fly fast, alright?” My smile faded a bit as a troubling thought crossed my mind. “Have you found anything in your research that could help me get my memories back?”

“N-not yet.” Twilight looked away in shame. There was something she wasn’t telling me. I had seen her hesitate to admit troubling details enough times in two days to tell.

Two days? It was still bizarre to think I only had two days worth of memories. It felt like so much more time had passed since I woke up from my coma. 

“Well, good luck.” I did my best to reassure her with my smile. “I’ll be researching everything I can too.”

“I love you, sister in law.” Twilight embraced me with a warm hug, yet I couldn’t help but wince.

“Do you have to add the ‘in law’ part?” I stayed in her embrace, squeezing back tightly. 

“Well we are sisters in law.” She defended, as if I was trying to argue or something.

“We are, but it just sounds so formal and impersonal.” I pulled away to look into her eyes, still holding her by the shoulders. “We’re sisters. Doesn’t that sound much nicer?"

“Sisters.” Twilight repeated with a nod. “I love you, sis.” She hugged me one more time and I melted into her touch much more naturally. 

“I love you too, sis.” I said and meant it. Twilight was my family. I knew it already. I had felt it in our essences, but I hadn’t felt it this strongly until now. 

After a long lingering moment, Twilight let go and walked out of the broom closet before darting down the hallway.

“Let’s go, Flash!” her voice was already getting further away. “We’re on a tight schedule.”

“Wait, I have to grab my armor!” He shouted after her, standing in the doorway before turning back to face me. “Thank you, Princess. I owe you one.” He bowed to me. Somehow his bow was more personal than the other servants and subjects. Pell’s bows were almost sarcastic, yet still genuine.

“You owe me nothing, Flash.” I shook my head as he got back up. “Just take good care of my sister, promise?” I grinned at him like a friend, not a ruler.

“I will cherish her, and protect her with my life.” He looked dead serious like the Captain he was.

“A bit dramatic, but I’ll take it.” I walked up and slapped him on his shoulder like it was a locker room. He looked shocked for a moment, before chuckling.

“Thank you. I’ll take care of her… Cadance.” He dashed off after Twilight before he could regret using my name instead of my title. I hoped he would use my name more often when we weren’t on duty. I was beginning to like my name.





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