//------------------------------//
// 101. First Contact 3 (Author SI vs Princess Cadence) 
// Story: Short Shorts 
// by Coranth 
//------------------------------//

At last, the not-monster finished... doing whatever he was doing to her Shining Armor. Taking off his robe - revealing curious golden-bronze armor beneath - the bipedal creature spread it out on the floor near the throne and placed Shining Armor down upon it. Her beloved stallion slept, dreaming blissful dreams. Once he'd dealt with Shining Armor, the not-monster reached for her. Picking her up, he placed her in his lap and then... a whimper escaped Cadence as unusual, flesh-covered paws gently lifted the tiara from her head. Swiftly, the Crystal Princess undid the spell that kept her mane in its particular style; when she did so a smile graced the creature's lips as he watched her mane go limp, its brilliant colours splashing everywhere...

Cadence shivered as the not-monster buried his hands within it and then... a little choked sob escaped her as she was cuddled, the non-monster's hands beginning to work as she was held so very, very gently. The way he was holding her, stroking her, rocking her gently; it felt like... it felt like... "Papa..." she breathed, sobbing gently again, memories of the elderly ponies who'd done their best to raise her filling her thoughts, and... why were her eyes misty? She shouldn't be enjoying this! She should be doing her best to resist the bipedal being's touch. She w-wasn't... Sh-She wasn't a... "'M not a foal..." she whimpered, conflicted, those formerly unshed tears beginning to fall, "'M nuh-not a... f-foal..."

She looked up at the not-monster, as he looked down at her, his hazel eyes filled with deep concern. "I know, sweetie. I know," he stated matter-of-fact, surprising her that he could speak and understand Equestrian. "But sometimes... even grown-up ponies need to cry..." Fear/Shame/Terror/Shock gripped her all at once, then - what would her subjects think of her, breaking down in the lap of a not-Equestrian mons--being? - but then... it was as if a dam burst within her. Softly, gently, Cadence wept as the human - where had that thought come from? - held her close, rocking her back, and forth, back, and forth, back, and forth, his hands softly stroking her coat, ruffling her mane, and scratching her behind the ears.

Soon, Cadence found herself talking - venting - to the strange being. Oh, how she missed the simple hamlet where she'd been born and raised. Mama. Papa. Her friends there. Sometimes, she hated Celestia for taking her away from her home. She loved the Crystal Empire, truly she did, but sometimes she felt so uncomfortable in her role as a Princess; why, there were days when she just wanted to scream, or worse, run away from it all. Was she a good Princess? Did her subjects like her? The human kept listening to her as she talked, and talked, and talked through her tears... until with another broken sob she was done; utterly wrung out. She felt like she was falling away; like she was dying.

But then... she saw Shining Armor there before her, felt the human's arms around her, saw his hazel eyes looking down upon her. And she heard his voice as he softly intoned, "You are a good Princess, Cadence, and you don't have to rule alone in this. You have your stallion over there," - he gestured to Shining Armor - "and not only that. Humanity stands with the Crystal Empire. Humanity stands with you. We'll help you; you can count on it."