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// 56 - Moderately Modern 
// Story: Synch 
// by sunnypack 
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When I came upon Twilight and Luna I found them sprawled on the ground, having tripped over an innocent hospital worker who had been pushing a gurney. The princess and Twilight tried a couple of times to untangle themselves from the heap but a complicated web of lines tied their limbs together. I shook my head.

“Now this is what happens when you don’t stop when others tell you to”, I commented wryly, the beginnings of a smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth.

Both Twilight and Luna shot me a glare. I put up my hands in a placating gesture.

“Okay, okay! I’ll just help this poor stallion to his feet-erm hooves and you mares can sort yourselves out”, I said quickly, turning to the dazed stallion. He nodded at me as I helped him to his feet. He gave Twilight a withering scowl and a frosty bow of his head to Luna.

I held in my laughter at the failed of attempts of Twilight and Luna to unbind themselves. My guess was that Luna had charged down the corridor and had prepared a spell to root Twilight. The spell backfired when she collided into the passing gurney and the spell ended up entrapping both of them.

“Come now, Luna”, I chastised the dark blue mare. “You should just dispel the spell now.”

I didn’t really know how spells worked but there should be counter-spells to spells, right?

Luna had the graces to look embarrassed.

“I would if I could”, she started as a tinge of red blossomed on her cheeks. “But I’m afraid I used an alicorn-class spell.”

Twilight sighed in frustration.

I peered at Luna in puzzlement.

“What’s an alicorn-class spell?”

Twilight answered for Luna, giving a small cough to clear her throat and begin. I struggled not to giggle at Twilight obviously trying to deliver a lecture from her, uhm… awkward position. I admired her for trying to keep her composure despite the circumstances. Shows character. Uhuh.

“Alicorn-class spells are a subset of spells originally developed by Princess Celestia- “ she glanced at Luna, as Luna shrunk back a little “ -or Princess Luna.

“The purpose of these spells was to combat high-powered monsters or to affect the environment on a world-changing scale. An example of this would be the sun or moon-raising spell, which allows an alicorn to achieve what twelve or thirteen unicorns would have difficulty with. Although, with Princess Celestia or Luna, they would have a greater affinity to the former and latter respectively due to their ‘special talent’.

“The problem with alicorn-class spells, which is usually minor, is that they can only be broken by another alicorn. You’ll have to fetch Princess Cadance”, she ground out, in a mixture of semi-annoyed and semi-professional tone. Every few seconds mirth threatened to bubble up from my abdomen and out through my mouth and I clamped a hand around it in an attempt to stop it from overflowing.

Probably not a good idea to make enemies of these two mares, well any mare at any rate, I should probably just do my job.

“Okay”, I said as the giggles subsided. “Just one question. If this is an alicorn-class spell, why can’t Luna break herself out?”

Luna grimaced, then turned meek as she explained.

“The purpose of the spell is to bind the enemy, the spell would automatically conform to the type it was trying to bind. As Twilight would have noticed, I didn’t want Twilight to activate a spell and easily escape the rooting spell”, she said, turning to look at Twilight with the last phrase. “She is a particularly powerful unicorn after all.”

Twilight rolled her eyes.

“I don’t feel particularly powerful right now”, she grumbled, trying to escape the bonds again, but subsiding a little when she accidentally kicked Luna in the flank, the alicorn gave a small unroyal ‘eep’. I renewed my struggles to contain my laughter.

This is priceless, I need my flash Synch knot, I thought traitorously. Oh the blackmail material I could record!

Luna and Twilight shot me a chilling look that broke me from my thoughts. Twilight did a disturbing thing where she was still looking at me but was addressing Luna.

“I think that in these circumstances I can find it within my heart to forgive you”, she began, in a tone that suggested horrible things could happen.

Luna nodded, her gaze suddenly intensifying, making me take a step back.

“Young Twilight, I do believe you hit the nail upon its head”, she spoke icily.

Twilight pointed a free hoof to the stallion that had been pushing the gurney before, he had returned and his expression told me that he regretted every moment after making that decision.

“You Sir!” she called, rooting him to the spot with a glare. “You agree that my friend was thinking quite unfriendly thoughts, right?”

The stallion looked like the Inquisitors were grilling him for practicing witchcraft.

He glanced sidelong at me with a gaze that said ‘sorry bro, you have my sympathies.

“Y-yes, ma’am, absolutely”, he agreed sycophantically, I glared at him in annoyance.

I still had the upper hand, though, figuratively speaking of course.

“I wonder who would fetch Princess Cadance?” I wondered out loud, Twilight twitched but didn’t back down.

“We’ll get a guard to tell Princess Cadance” Twilight replied snappily.

I glanced at the guards standing well outside earshot.

“Uhuh”, I said unequivocally. Twilight snorted.

“They’ll check on us, eventually” she defended. Luna was quiet.

“Just get Princess Cadance will you?” Luna sighed. I shrugged, the game was over anyway and I needed to get some research done.

"I’ll leave a couple guards here, Luna. It wouldn’t do to have any…pony coming here and seeing you both like this”, I suggested, walking towards the doors.

Twilight huffed but remained quiet. She looked like she was plotting her revenge.

So be it, I thought.

In the main hallway I spotted two guards.

“Pardon me”, I excused myself politely. The guards regarded me curiously.

“Would you mind helping Twilight and Princess Luna over there- “ I pointed behind me “ -they are stuck in a precarious situation…”

The guards nodded, the one on the left thanking me before marching into the side hallway.

I exited the hospital, finding myself in unfamiliar territory. I smacked my forehead. I hadn’t asked Twilight or Luna for directions.

No matter, I thought, spotting a tall crystalline tower. I think I’ll be fine.

Princess Cadance was holding court when I arrived. She looked a lot less like a young, inexperienced mare and more like the royalty she was reflective of. I approached her with more reverence than I had reserved for Luna. After all we weren’t friends, at least not yet.

I wondered to myself how I got myself into making friends with royalty on a different world.

Probably some universal law that says this here human is not to have a straightforward, uncomplicated life, I thought to myself, somewhat bitterly. I shook myself from my brooding as I approached the throne.

I bowed slightly, as I halted a respectful distance.

“Ah, what brings you here?” she addressed melodiously.

She’s definitely a singer, I thought to myself.

“Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle requests your assistance at the hospital”, I informed her.

“Whatever for?” Cadance queried, peering at my form. “Are you fit to move from the hospital?”

I chuckled at that.

“I checked myself out”, I replied casually. The guards to the sides of the throne were beginning to get annoyed that I didn’t use the ‘your Majesty’ appellation. I didn’t care. Not one single bit.

Princess Cadance didn’t seem to mind the lack of title. She seemed happy to speak to me on more casual tones.

“This is what Luna talked about”, she murmured to herself.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” I called to Cadance. I didn’t catch her words.

Cadance dismissed the guards to the sides, to my surprise. When the guards left she approached me apprehensively, as if gauging whether or not to broach a subject with me. She anxiously twisted her hoof, pivoting it on the ground. I guess different ponies had different ways of scuffing the floor with their hooves.

Cadance looked at shyly before blurting out, “What do you think about foals?!”

I stared at her, while she blushed furiously.

I was about to reply when she cut in.

“I-I-I mean, not in THAT way, Celestia, no!” she quickly added. She looked horrified she said that. I felt a little hurt, to be honest.

“Oh pony feathers!” she cursed, turning away from me.

I was starting to get the picture.

“Is this about Shining Armor and the issue of bearing foals?” I asked, groaning. This stuff was Emilia’s field of expertise, why was she approaching me?

Cadance nodded.

“And you’re asking me because…?” I inquired, confused.

Cadance looked at me as if it was obvious.

“Because you are male”, she replied as if that made any sense. Oh, wait she wanted a male perspective on children.

“It’s really not my place to say”, I said, wanting to pull out of the suddenly boiling relationship cauldron I found myself in.

She looked at me pleadingly.

“Oh it really depends, have you tried asking him?” I offered, to which Cadance shot me an annoyed glance.

“Of course I have, I’ve been trying to hint at it for weeks now!” she growled. I instantly face-palmed, knowing exactly what the situation is.

“Listen Cadance, I don’t think I have to tell you this, you being already married and all, but you should know by now that guys are very blunt and straightforward. Subtlety doesn’t exist in our vocabulary, well unless he’s an intellectually isolated island like me”, I explained, Cadance nodding slowly.

“Just straight out ask him, princess”, I told her casually.

She looked unsure of herself.

“You’ll be fine”, I said, encouraging her. “Just act natural and be supportive either way, it’ll work out.”

At the time, I failed to appreciate giving relationship advice to the pony Princess of Love. Ponies were mortal too. Alicorns included.

She nodded thanks at me and dashed out the side door.

Hopefully I hadn’t broken the Crystal Empire’s royal relationships, which would be bad. Really bad.

I got the feeling I was forgetting something though…