Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest


Prompt #294: Takeover

“Sincerely, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” muttered Cadance, signing her name with a flourish at the bottom of the scroll. With a glow of magic, she rolled it up, sealed it with a ribbon and her own personal seal, and levitated it to a growing stack on the table. She sighed, and levitated another peice of parchment over to start the next letter. As she did so, she winced as she felt the slight burning sensation in her horn that signified she was overdoing it a bit. Still, she had to get these letters done, even though Aunt Luna’s moon was high in the sky by this point.

“Cadence? Are you still up?” said Shining Armor, as he trotted into the room.

“I need to get these invitations done. I’m nearly done, Shining,” she muttered.

“Cadence,” said Shining, “you’re getting tired. I can barely read your writing.”

“I won’t be long.”

“Cadence,” said Shining Armor, pulling his wife-to-be out of the chair, “go to bed. You can worry about the wedding tomorrow. We still have months. Besides, you still have Twilight’s invitation to do, and if your writing is sloppy, she may not come to spite you.”

Despite her exhaustion, Cadence managed to muster up a smile. “She would not. She’ll come. The only way she wouldn’t come is if she was physically immobile, and even then, she’d probably teleport herself here.”

Shining Armor smiled, “Still, you know she’d want your writing to be perfect. She’s odd like that. Just this week, I heard how she made an entire town fall in love with a doll, so maybe she’ll not come to the wedding if your writing is sub-par.”

“Alright, you convinced me,” sighed Cadence, “these can wait until tomorrow. You go to bed. I’ll check everything’s locked up, and then I’ll join you up there.”

“Are you sure I don’t need to stay down here to make sure you don’t try and finish the invitations?”

“Promise, Shining. I’ll be right up,” said Cadence, a tired smile slipping back onto her face.

“All right,” said Shining, nuzzling Cadence, then trotting back up to bed.

Cadence sighed, and started going around to make sure that everything was locked up tight. With the threat against Canterlot, security had been heavily reinforced, and the whole thing was only being added to Cadence’s stress about the wedding.

Though she knew that Shining Armor was the pony that she wanted to marry, she wanted the whole affair to come off without a hitch. She wanted her storybook wedding, where the knight marries the princess and they live happily ever after.

As Cadence finished locking up the windows of her house, there was a knock at the door.

Cadence paused. Who, in the wide world of Equestria would be calling at this hour? At the second knock, Cadence let out another sigh, and tried to not make herself look so tired.

“I’m coming. Hang on a minute,” she called, crossing to the door, and unbolting it. Upon opening it, she was confronted with one of the Royal Guard.

“What is it?”

“Your Highness, I just came to tell you that there’s been a bit of a problem with the plans for your wedding. Princess Celestia sent me straight over as soon as she found out. First though, I must verify. Your full name, please.”

Princess Cadence sighed.

“I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, domain of Love, country in absentia. What’s the issue, sir?”

“Just that you won’t be there.”

There was a flash of green, and Cadence found herself staring at an exact doppelganger of herself.

“You’re a changeling,” hissed Cadence, her horn already firing up for a spell to expel the shapeshifter from the city. However, due to her sleep-deprived state, all she managed to do was give herself a terrible hornache, and collapsed on the ground in pain.

“Really, don’t make it too easy for me,” said the thing that was wearing her skin, “Oh well, off with you,” it said as green flames surrounded Princess Cadence and pulled her down, and somewhere out of sight, and out of mind.
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza trotted upstairs, and settled in next to Shining Armor.

“Did I hear the door, just now?”

“Of course not, Shining. Let’s just get to sleep. I’m sure that our love will see us through whatever is coming up.”

“You bet,” murmured Shining Armor, drifing off to sleep. Mi Amore Cadenza followed, a devious smile on her face.