Short Shorts

by Coranth

105. TCB-Cadence vs The Prince (Author SI Pony)

"Out of all of Equestria's Princesses," the mysterious pony softly intoned, "you were deemed the most amicable to approach. That is why we brought you here, Mi Amore Cadenza." Soon Cadence felt the bag being lifted from her head; then she felt the blindfold being unwound from about her face. As the lights of the room slowly brightened - giving her eyes time to adjust - the pink alicorn pony finally set eyes upon the Prince, the mysterious male alicorn who'd been such a thorn in Astra Solamina's side. "Welcome," he said softly, "to Newfoal Island."

A teal-coated, brown-maned alicorn pony, he was surprisingly diminutive - larger than a foal yet smaller than even the most average of unicorns - barely large enough to be considered a teenager. However, the Princess of Love was wrong even in that snap judgement, for the strange runic cutie marks upon his flanks marked him as an adult, as did the unfathomable power she could see in his eyes. Unlike Celestia and Luna - who wore little save for their tiaras, gorgets and shoes, the Prince wore the most spectacular clothing she had ever seen.

A 'triple-loincloth' like garment draped over his rear and also covered his flanks that his sheath might not be seen. Covering the loincloth was golden-metal barding; atop that the Prince wore a long, jade-green, rune-adorned robe, its only modification being the slits cut from it for his wings. About his right foreleg there rested a bracer to which a mysterious device was attached and atop his head he wore a half-circlet of silver with a crystalline 'cap' for his impressive horn. For all of his majesty, however, he seemed so very frail and he carried an air of sadness about him, as if he'd seen far too much...

Poor Cadence was torn. She knew she oughtn't to approach him, yet the foal sitter inside her demanded that she pick him up, cuddle him, tell him everything would be alright... Instead, she asked a simple question. "Why am I here?" The Prince did not answer her question at first; instead he merely gave Cadence a curious little smile - as if he was going to do, was doing, had done all of this before. The sad smile he gave her chilled her to the core, wrenched her heart and sent shivers down her spine. Finally, the Prince softly intoned, "You are here to be set free."

"What?" Cadence asked. It was then that she noticed the instrument in the room: an old Grande Piano, its stained wooden panels faded with time, its ivory keys scuffed. That instrument had been played a lot and had been loved and well-cared for by the Prince; she could practically taste the love emanating from it in the air. "Humans," he began as he opened the lid and checked the keys, "know of love. Did you know that?" he asked, gently.

At his words, Mi Amore Cadenza's eyes widened; humans knew of love? But... but they were soulless monsters... weren't they? She looked to the Prince. "They're not as monstrous as your Astra Solamina would have you believe," he replied, seemingly reading her thoughts, "and yes, they know of love. Something she never taught you. Something she never wanted you to know. Humankind knew of love. They wrote many songs about it, in fact, so many songs... I would have you know their love. Allow me to play you one..." In curiosity, Cadence nodded... and then, as she watched and listened the Prince began to play and oh, the music was so sad and yet so beautiful!.

"What the world needs now is love, sweet love / It's the only thing that there's just too little of / What the world needs now is love, sweet love / No, not just for some but for everyone..." Magic swirled around her, then; the Prince's voice became that of an elderly human male, Mr. Burt Bacharach. She didn't know him, had never met him, and yet she had and she did. She felt his wizened voice buoy her spirits... and then she heard the choir of human children sing the chorus with him, felt them petting her with their hands, ruffling her mane and coat, scratching her behind the ears...

So many little children.

Children who would never sing again.

When the song ended, the Prince led a stricken Cadence over to a waste disposal unit, into which she wept and wept and wept until she vomited up a black, vile ichor; and then she wept some more. When at last she was done the Prince cleaned her mouth and face, offered to give her a place to rest, but she rebuffed him. "Play... me... another..." she rasped. The Prince nodded, knowing that this was her choice. So he did. "Your love keeps liftin' me higher / Than I've ever been lifted before / So keep it up, yeah, quench my desire / And I'll be at Your side forevermore, yeah..."

This time, as the Chaotic Harmony of what she now recognized as Newfoal Magic whirled about her something dark broke from her and withered; she no longer felt saddened and sick, no she felt well, she felt like she wanted to dance and laughing gaily she did as the Prince watched on with knowing gaze and smiled. When at last the song was done, Cadence begged for another; she wanted to know more of human music, human love. She had to know more... And grinning, the Prince complied. "Each Time The Wind Blows / I Hear Your Voice So / I Call Your Name . . . / Whispers At Morning / Our Love Is Dawning / Heaven's Glad You Came . . ."

Now she started to understand. This was love, she thought as she cried more black ichor tears of sadness and longing, the power of Astra Solamina nee Empress Celestia growing weaker with every tear she shed; to be replaced with Newfoal Magic, clean and natural. When the song was done, Princess Cadence whimpered and looked to the Prince. More? He shook his head; then he led her from the room they were in, through wherever they were to a simple wooden door. Outside, a storm raged. "You must go out there," the teal alicorn stated. "Listen to the sky. When you do, Astra Solamina's hold over you will be broken."

Out she went into the storm. Fierce winds battered and tore at her mane and coat, throwing it into disarray! Sleet-rain stung her eyes and drove against her body! Heedless of this, Princess Cadence raised her head to the sky, and listened. "I was caught / In the middle of a railroad track. (Thunder) / I looked round / And I knew there was no turning back (Thunder) / My mind raced / And I thought what could I do (Thunder) / And I knew / There was no help, no help from you (Thunder)" the storm roared, and Cadence snorted, reared, danced, kicked, and bucked, caught up in the moment; then lightning lanced down from the storm clouds and struck her horn! Far from harmful, it was Newfoal power, deep and cleansing. Shrieking in shock, she slipped and fell into the muck beneath her hooves... It was utterly unclean, it was filthy, it was disgusting, it was... it was... was...

Perfect.

A delighted whimper escaping her, the pink Princess groaned softly in pleasure as she sloshed, squelched, and rolled in it--utterly ruining her normally pristine fur, mane and tail. She didn't mind. She didn't care, she just let the music and the storm roil around her. Lighting struck her again, then--once, twice, three times--and each time the taint of Empress Celestia's Order was purged from her, each time she grew... When the final blast of lightning hit her, Cadence screamed in sheer ecstasy and then she passed out. When she awakened the next day at sunrise she had some trouble getting to her hooves... because she was bigger! A glance into a nearby puddle confirmed it and made her rear back in shock!

She was a full adult, now - a true alicorn - her mane and tail a shimmering mass of violet, rose and golden fire! Magic - wholly her own - practically sang within her body and blood, and she felt more alive than she ever had in Equestria. Whinnying softly, the Princess of Love took in a deep breath of the fresh, morning air then used a simple spell to clean herself of the mud and filth she'd gained from her foray in the storm. Afterwards... she turned to look at where she was, finding herself in front of a rather simple looking house atop a hill; below her she could see a fairly modest settlement and far away, she could hear the sound of the ocean.

With another breath of the fresh, cleansing air, Cadence turned to enter the house of the Prince, to thank him for showing her so much. However, before she could, the door of the house opened and the Prince emerged. Slowly, he stepped down from his front porch and walked towards her, his steps hesitant and unsure as he opened his mouth to softly sing one last song,

Even as she sank to the ground, overwhelmed - even as the Prince reached her and lay with her, presenting her a simple, hoof-made non-magical ring for her horn - Cadence knew what she wanted. "I... yes!" she choked, her eyes misting with tears. Carefully, even as she wept freely, she lowered her head to allow the mysterious Prince to slide the ring down her horn until it touched her forehead. With that, the hold of Celestia's Order upon her was undone; with that, the Prince and Cadence embraced.

* * *

Far, far away, in Canterlot, as Astra Solamina spied upon them through her Scrying Pool - as she felt the hold she had upon Princess Mi Amore Cadenza shatter - the Empress of the Sun, the Tyrant Sol, roared in fury.