//------------------------------//
// Day 1 
// Story: A Venomous Queen & A Poisoned Princess 
// by Flikaline 
//------------------------------//


Day 1


Cadence had successfully fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning. When she awoke the sun was shining brightly. She didn’t know why but she didn’t feel quite herself somehow and maybe felt a little sick. She looked over to see that Shining Armor was still asleep. She gave a small smile before getting out of bed carefully, in order not to wake him. Maybe she just needed some fresh air. She decided to go for a walk. She left a note and planted a kiss on her husband’s cheek before leaving. Ponies were bustling up and down the Canterlot streets but many of them greeted the princess in any case. 

‘Good morning,’ she replied cheerfully, but she didn’t feel cheerful. She seemed to be feeling worse as time went on. She felt a little dizzy. Perhaps she needed to sit down. As she walked on her dizziness became worse and her legs began to shake uncontrollably. Before she knew what was happening, she had collapsed onto the ground. Her vision became slightly blurred.

‘What’s happening to me?’ she said, her voice suddenly becoming hoarser. She looked up to see what looked like three ponies which gradually merged into one.

‘Princess?’ came the voice of a slightly alarmed Twinkleshine, ‘what’s wrong?’

‘I-I don’t know,’ Cadence replied weakly. Twinkleshine stared fearfully at the princess’s state.

‘Lyra! Minuette!’ Twinkleshine called urgently, ‘help me to carry the princess to my home!’ The two ponies exchanged looks before hurrying over. ‘Wind Whistler,’ Twinkleshine continued, addressing a pegasus pony, ‘could you fly to Canterlot Castle and tell Princess Celestia what has happened?’ Wind Whistler nodded and flew off as fast as she could.

‘Thank you, Twinkleshine,’ Cadence said softly.

‘She does look rather ill,’ Minuette commented.

‘We better hurry,’ said Lyra, as they lifted Cadence onto their backs.

As quickly and as carefully as they could, they headed for Twinkleshine’s home. On arriving, the three ponies made their best efforts to make the princess feel better but nothing seemed to work, and, to make matters worse, Cadence began to experience surges of pain. The only things they seemed to be able to do was make her more comfortable and offer words of comfort.

Celestia soon arrived, accompanied by Luna who had evidently only just woken up. Cadence slowly looked up.

‘Auntie Tia? Aunt Luna?’ she murmured as the blurry shapes came towards her. Celestia looked very worried. Her niece was evidently not in a good state.

‘Luna,’ she began quickly, ‘round up all the doctors and nurses in Canterlot and bring them to Canterlot Castle, I’m going to take Cadence back there now.’ Luna nodded and galloped off.

Celestia had flown slowly and carefully back to Canterlot Castle with Cadence on her back. Her niece’s state was most definitely getting worse as time went on. On their arrival, Shining Armor galloped over.

‘Cadence!’ he cried. She slowly looked over slowly and gave a weak smile. Shining Armor stared at the bad state his poor wife was in. ‘What’s wrong with her?’ he asked Celestia.

‘We should find out soon enough,’ Celestia replied, ‘Luna’s going to bring back all the doctors and nurses in Canterlot,’

‘She’s, she’s going to be okay then?’ he inquired nervously.

‘Yes, of course,’ Celestia told him uncertainly.