//------------------------------//
// Past & Present : Part 1 
// Story: Cadence Unbridled (Sections 1 & 2) 
// by Flikaline 
//------------------------------//

Past & Present : Part 1

Cadence’s light hooves gently touched the mossy earth beneath them as she slowly walked down the path. The trees towered above her, and the track that was leading her on, although clear, had obviously not been used for some time. The forest undergrowth was more than beginning to eat away at it, and overgrown weeds were arching over it, making it unusually narrow in some places. 

The green leaves rustled in a slight breeze, and Cadence suddenly became more aware of the basket in her dry mouth. It seemed uncomfortable, and a little heavy. In an instant, a raven’s cry could be heard from the sky above, causing Cadence’s coat to stand on end, and her blood to run cold.

Everything seemed to become darker within a few moments, and each noise sounded louder. Cadence raised a hoof to pull down the red hood which was covering her head, and listened attentively to the sounds around her. Within a few moments, she had the distinct feeling she was being stalked. 

As Cadence quickened her pace to a trot, she could hear twigs cracking beneath another’s hooves. The forest now seemed to be shrouded in darkness, and, up ahead, in the clearing beyond, there was a river. Cadence knew she was being chased. 

To a canter. To a gallop. She raced on. The river seemed to become further and further away. Exhaustion was coming onto her a lot faster than it should have. Her increasing fear was the only thing that allowed her to go on. 

He was chasing her. He was after her. Something was telling Cadence that she must get to that river. She couldn’t let him get her. Too much was at stake. She was gasping for air, barely able to breathe. She wanted to scream. She wanted to shout. 

She was into the clearing. She didn’t know how it had happened so fast. It had seemed such a distance a few moments before. The river! She was almost there! She could barely move. She could hardly stand. She collapsed at the water’s edge. It was no use. She was doomed. 

She could sense his presence. Cadence could do little more than strain her neck to look at her own reflection in the calm, shimmering water. True Star’s reflection looked back at her, wearing the same expression and red hood. As Cadence stared down at herself, she realized she was True Star. 

She did not notice that the basket had disappeared from sight. Nor that He was not reflected in the river. She knew he was behind her. She dared not look. She could feel herself curling into a ball and hiding her face. She wanted to shout and scream more than ever now, but her voice seemed to be gone. Any light left was ebbing away. She closed her eyes.

**

‘Raven Mocker!’ Cadence gasped. 

She blinked. Her eyes were open. She could once again smell the fresh cut grass. She could feel a flower petal that the gentle wind had allowed to land on her mane. Cadence raised a hoof to lightly brush it off. 

She gave a yawn and stretched. Her neck and some of her muscles ached slightly from being in inconvenient positions. Her heart was still beating fast. Cadence looked down to see what her head had been resting on. It was an open book, a copy of Little Red Riding Hooves.

Cadence gave a sigh. It had just been a nightmare. She must’ve fallen asleep. She could only just vaguely remember having been reading the book. It was odd now she thought about it. She hadn’t had a bad dream since she had been in that lake. Perhaps that what I get for sleeping during the day, Cadence thought.

Nearly every nightmare she had had involved Raven Mocker in some way. She supposed that he must’ve affected her the most, although she couldn’t figure out exactly why. As if goblins, under-water monsters, the Empress and pony-devouring black holes weren’t able to give you nightmares.

Cadence sat up. She was in the Canterlot Gardens. Princess Celestia had once again decided that Cadence should stay closer to home to avoid danger. This had come at a rather inconvenient time for Cadence. Since Thora’s betrayal, parents had been far less inclined to allow Cadence to foalsit. As they apologetically explained, if Cadence could be so easily tricked by Thora, and so easily endangered, they couldn’t rely on her to keep their foals safe. Other ponies, though protective of her, appeared to think that they would be putting themselves at risk if they went too near to her.

This was the very reason she had told so few ponies about the Mark. This is the reaction she would’ve expected. And with Shining Armor spending almost any free time he had doing extra training, almost all her regular activities were out. Cadence couldn’t help but think that she might as well be stabled. She doubted she was much safer here anyway.

A wisp of blue shot passed.

‘Trixie,’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘wait!’ 

But it was too late. Cadence sighed again. Trixie had not really been herself since Thora, and Cadence couldn’t help but suspect that Trixie felt too embarrassed to talk to her. Cadence got to her hooves and began to make her way back to the castle. At least Aquila and Dusk would be coming to visit the day after tomorrow. She hadn’t seen them for some time.

Cadence vaguely wondered when Shining Armor’s promotion would be announced. As Cadence neared the castle, she caught sight of something. Shining Armor! Cadence hurried over, but stopped in her tracks. He looked so miserable! She had never seen him look more unhappy!

‘Shining Armor,’ Cadence cried, ‘what’s the matter! What’s wrong?’ 

Cadence put a foreleg around him.

‘Oh,’ Shining Armor replied weakly, ‘well, I, I didn’t get the promotion . . .’

‘What!’ Cadence spluttered, ‘but you were so obviously the prime candidate! I thought nearly all of the Royal Guard knew that! And after all those extra training sessions . . !’

‘I know,’ Shining Armor responded heavily.

‘I’m going to complain about this,’ Cadence stated, ‘who did get the position?’

‘Some newbie,’ Shining Armor told her sadly, ‘came out of no-where it seems. At any rate, he had a record of his achievements and he’s a stallion while I’m still a colt . . .’

‘That’s absurd!’ Cadence exclaimed, ‘no newbie should be given your job! At any rate, you deserve it and have the right character.’

‘Who are you going to complain to?’ Shining Armor asked anxiously.

‘Auntie Tia,’ Cadence said in a very serious tone.

*

‘It’s ridiculous!’ Cadence shouted.

‘For the third time, Cadence, it was out of my hooves,’ Celestia yelled.

‘You had to confirm it!’ Cadence retorted savagely, ‘You should’ve said no, or at least questioned it!’

‘The captain was very impressed with him,’ Celestia tried to tell Cadence calmly, ‘and once you meet him, you probably will be too. I can understand why you wanted Shining Armor . . .’

‘For the last time,’ Cadence exclaimed furiously, ‘most of the Royal Guard agrees with me! And what gives you the impression I’m going to meet him?’

‘You have to, Cadence, it’s only polite,’ Celestia told her.

‘I don’t really feel like being polite!’ Cadence snapped.

Celestia gave a sigh.

‘Be at the guard post near the gate in twenty minutes, Cadence,’ Celestia replied in a bored tone, ‘we’ll meet Hawk Talons there.’

*

Cadence went to sit with Shining Armor by the steps and sulked. Shining Armor mumbled sadly about how Starburst would be coming the next day, and how he had been looking forward to telling him about his promotion, while Cadence made some slightly rude remarks about her aunt. 

Cadence made sure she was late for meeting this new so-called guard. She left Shining Armor sitting there after twenty five minutes, aiming to be ten minutes late. She had been almost certain before she had met Hawk Talons that she would not like him. As she approached him and Celestia from a short distance, she knew her first impression would change her feelings. It wasn’t just that she did not like him, she almost hated him.