Chapter 3: Love's Shadow
Cadance
I could barely contain my excitement, even though the ride to Canterlot was rather boring.
I smiled to myself, thinking: 'it's going to be so good seeing auntie Tia and Luna. I wonder how Twilight and Fluttershy are doing? Why haven't they written to me in six years? Maybe with everything that was happening I just missed her letters.'
I felt the crystal pegasi slow down, as we began to descend. Looking out of the window I saw auntie Tia waiting for my arrival, with a forlorn expression across her muzzle. Why would she look so down? Whatever she needed my help with must be putting her in some kind of bind.
Feeling the chariot land and slow down to a stop, I stepped out and used my magic to retrieve the belongings that I’d brought with me.
I turned around and spoke to the crystal pegasi, "thank you for carrying me here, both of you. You may head on back to the Crystal City, I do not know how long I'll be needed here. When you get back though, take the next few days to recover."
I felt a hoof on my shoulder, and turned around to Celestia embracing me in a hug.
"Thank you for coming so quickly, Cadance. I have no idea what to do. Even Luna is at her wits end," my aunt spoke, bags under her eyes..
I returned her hug and said, "What is this about auntie? I've never seen you this distraught before."
"I'm sorry, I promise I'll explain everything, but first, let's find a place away from prying ears," Celestia said, motioning me to follow.
I went to grab my bags and noticed they were already gone. 'Somepony must have taken them for me while I wasn't looking,' I thought to myself.
I pushed the thought of my bags to the back of my mind and followed my aunt so we could speak in private. Celestia and I walked through the castle, and I soon noticed that we were heading for the royal garden.
“Cadance,” I heard Celestia start speaking. “In these past few years, i’ve been doing what I could to hide something from you, so you could focus your efforts on the uprising,” she said, with clear disappointment in her voice, though not towards me, but towards herself. “I know I probably shouldn’t have, but at the time I thought it was the best thing to do.”
“What did you hide from me?”
“I’d rather show you than tell you, my dear niece. I just hope you can forgive me once I do.”
I was confused about my aunt’s statement. Why wouldn’t I forgive her? What didn’t she tell me that would make her think that?
We continued walking along the Royal Garden until she spoke again. “Do you know where we are heading?”
“From what I can tell auntie, The Meadow of Remembrance. What I don’t understand is why?”
“You’ll soon find out,” she answered me.
Soon after I noticed the archway leading into the meadow, two guards posted outside.
“We wish to pay homage to those that are here,” Celestia said to the guards, as we walked up to them.
“Of course Princess,” they said in unison.
As the guards allowed us passage, me and Celestia walked down the pathway. As we did I noticed my aunt fidgeting, and even biting her lower lip. I could tell she was nervous. 'Is she really that worried about what she hid from me?' I thought to myself.
As we reached the end of the pathway, Celestia stopped.
Looking over her shoulder at me she speaks, shuffling her hooves around, “I am truly sorry I hid this from you Cadance. I just hope you can forgive me." Speaking the last word Celestia turned back and walked into the meadow.
As I follow my aunt, my eyes widen in horror and shock. A fifth gravestone had been added since I was last here. I didn't want to believe it, couldn't believe it. I slowly made my way to the new gravestone, needing to see what it said.
As I reached the gravestone my hind legs gave out, forcing me to the ground, closer to what I saw written. 'Fluttershy, Kindness, Loving Bride, Cared for all creatures none more so than her wife.' My mouth hung open. I couldn't believe it. Fluttershy was gone.
‘Twilight was already cracking from losing her brother and friends. Losing Fluttershy, would have been unbearable for her,” I thought to myself, moisture building in my eyes.
“How long has it been?" I asked my aunt without turning my head, as my voice threatened to crack.
"Six years," she spoke with sorrow in her voice. "She's been gone for six years. When she left us, it was as if Twilight left us as well. At first I thought she would be okay, but I was wrong."
"Why?" I asked as a lone tear ran down my face. "Why did you hide this from me?"
"Why did I hide it? I suppose, I don't truly know myself anymore. I hid it at first so you could focus on the uprising. I thought me and Luna could help Twilight through Shy’s death ourselves," Celestia spoke, the sadness in her voice near unbearable.
I could tell speaking about this was hurting her, but at the moment, my only thoughts were on Twilight. Was she okay?
“Why hasn’t Twilight told me about this?” I asked, as I stood up and turned around to face my aunt.
“I used my magic to stop her letters from getting to you. I didn’t want you distracted from the uprising. At the time I thought it was the right thing to do, but I know now that I was wrong.”
“How could you even think hiding something like this from me would be the right thing to do, Celestia?” I asked, my voice rising in volume.
“Because, I didn’t want the Crystal City to fall, like it did over a thousand years ago,” my aunt said to me calmly.
“Do you truly think I’d let something like this stop me from protecting my little ponies in the Crystal City? Yes, I would have come to try and help Twilight through this. But, I would have never let my ponies be harmed!” I yelled in rage. After taking a deep breath, like I had once taught Twilight, I spoke to Celestia again. “Twilight is one of the most important ponies in my life. You know this. If it wasn’t for her help when Shining Armor passed away, I would have never made it through it,” once again, just as many times before, tears started coming to me as memories of my late husband came forth.
“I’m sorry, Cadance. I know she's important to you, and that’s why I kept this from you. I was worried your concern for her would overrule your concern for the Crystal City. Recently though I’ve found out that I was wrong.” As she spoke the last word, I opened my muzzle to reply, when she brought her hoof up to let her continue. “I know that doesn't excuse me from hiding this from you, but at the moment I don’t care if you hate me or not. I asked you here so you can help, not me, but Twilight.”
“What do you mean?”
"These past six years have not been easy. At fir...."
"Just stop right there and get to the point. At the moment you are not a pony I wish to talk with for a length of time," I said, interrupting Celestia.
"Very well. Twilight has become distant. She does everything she can to avoid, not only myself and Luna, but the entire castle, if she can. She rarely leaves her room."
"Castle? You mean she moved back here?"
"After Fluttershy died, yes. She is back in the tower she stayed in before she moved to ponyville."
I turned my back to the sun goddess and spread out my wings. Since I knew where Twilight was, I wanted to speak with her.
"Where are you going, Cadance?"
"To see Twilight," I said flatly, as I took off into the sky, heading for Twilights room.
Moments later I landed on the balcony connected to Twilight’s old room. Walking up to the doors I pushed them open and looked inside.
"Twilight," I called out, hoping she would answer me. "Twilight, it’s me Cadance." 'Maybe she's not here,' I thought to myself, looking around the room. 'Still organized like always.'
As I looked around the room, I noticed a picture frame turned down on a desk. I walked over to see what picture could be in it.
Before I could see the picture, I heard Twilight call out, "Rose, is that you in there?"
"No, Twilight. It's me, Cadance. I came to see you," I called back to her, forgetting about the picture frame.
"Cadance!" I heard Twilight yell.
When I heard Twilight yell out my name I thought she was happy. I immediately found out that I was wrong. Twilight stepped out of the bathroom soaking wet, with a look of rage in her eyes that I only ever saw one other time in my life.
When I saw Twilight's eyes, I could do nothing but, back away in fear. If looks could kill, the one she gave me would have sent me to my husband.
"Twilight? Are you okay?"
"Am I okay? AM I OKAY?" Twilight screamed at me. "No, I'm not okay. Tell me, Cadance. Do you not know what happened? Apparently you do, seeing how you knew I was back in my old room," she said, while spitting at my hooves. "You don't care about me, you abandoned me, just like everypony else!"
"No, Twilight. That's not true, I care about you very much, just as much as I care about Shining," I told her, as I tried to quell the fear in my hooves.
"Then tell me why... why didn't you come see me when my wife left this world? I came and helped you when my brother passed away. You knew I was having a hard time watching my friends pass away. Why didn't you come when I asked you to? And why haven’t you replied to any of my letters?"
"I haven't received any letters from you in six years, Twilight," I told her, as I teleported the first letter Celestia sent me the other day. "Celestia sent me this letter, asking for my help last night. I figured I could see you while I was here. When I got here though, she told me she needed my help with you, cause you haven't taken Fluttershy’s death well. Which I didn't even know happened till she told me when I was speaking to her just moments ago," I said, the fear in my hooves finally calming down.
"So you came when Princess Celestia asked, but not when I asked? How does that work?"
"Twilight, please listen to me..." I started to speak, before Twilight interrupted me.
"No, Cadance. I don't want to hear what you have to say and I don't need your help either. I just want you to get out of my room," Twilight told me, as she turned around, opening the bedroom door with her magic, a clear sign she wanted me to leave, but I had to try one more time.
"Please Twilight. I know I wasn't here before, but I'm here now."
"Leave. Now. I won't ask a third time," she said, walking back into the bathroom.
I watched as Twilight closed the bathroom door, leaving me alone. I looked over at the open bedroom door and walked out, hanging my head low.
After closing the door, I decided to teleport to my room so other ponies wouldn't see me in my down ridden state.
Appearing in my room, my head hung low, I looked around and noticed my bags on my bed. Walking over to my bed, I opened one of my bags and pulled out a golden diamond horn ring.
"Shining Armor," I said out loud, holding my wedding ring in my magic. "What can I do? All the love I once felt inside of Twilight, is now gone. I wanna do whatever I can to help her, since without her, I would have never been able to continue without you,” I said, pulling the ring close.
After returning my wedding ring into my bag, I laid down on my bed, and slowly drifted off to sleep thinking about the lavender alicorn, whom I once shared a very special friendship with.