Chapter 3
“Well?” Cadance prodded Twilight with her wing. The unicorn looked distant, her mind off in some other place.
“Well, what?” Twilight jolted at the touch. Above them, the wave of firework explosions announcing Princess Cadance’s return started to settle down. She grimaced at the thought of the Royal Sisters topside, running a distraction tactic of some sort to draw out the assassin they were convinced was inside Canterlot and after Cadance.
Twilight started moving, stepping lightly to avoid splashing the ankle deep water that drained sluggishly through the sewage runoff pipe. Only a few more pony-hole covers and they would reach the location of the safe house Luna secured for them. If the plan was still proceeding correctly, Spike would be there waiting on them. She hoped the young dragon was doing better than they were at the moment.
“Well,” Cadance rolled her eyes at Twilight, “C’mon and tell me, Twily! About everything I’ve missed while I was away!”
“Um...everything?” Twilight looked back at Cadance. “It is five years or so of history to cover…”
“Then just give me the highlight reel, Twily!” Cadance sighed. She followed after Twilight, lifting her hooves high in disgust. “I hope this is mostly rainwater. If this safe house has a shower, I call dibs. And speaking of highlight reels, do you think the safe house has a projector? I’m five years behind on Equestrian entertainment. Outside the country, you almost never see movies at all. It’s like the rest of the world is still in the stone age.”
Twilight chuckled and shook her head, thinking back over hundreds of weeks since they had last parted ways, looking for the ‘highlight reel’ Cadance wanted. “Let’s see...uh, you missed my birthday five times. I joined Celestia’s Battlemage Corps after I harnessed the six elements, and—” Twilight coughed nervously, “defeated Princess Luna in battle when she went a little crazy.”
“What?” Cadance gawked at Twilight. “You beat Luna? How is that even possible? And what do you mean she went ‘a little crazy?’”
“Princess Luna kinda…” Twilight blushed, cringing under Cadance’s stare, “...had a breakdown and a fight with Princess Celestia about two years ago. Most people don’t even know it happened. I just happened to be in the right place to see Luna take off with Celestia. I chased after them into the Everfree Preserve. I tried to rescue Princess Celestia, but Princess Luna’s shields were too strong. I had an idea that they might be based off elemental energy nullification so I sort of lucked my way into binding all six elements into a single blast effect.”
Twilight lowered her voice, her head lowered shamefully. “I broke her shields and...er, her legs and um...her back. That’s why she had the wheelchair back at the castle.”
“Oh goddess, that’s what happened to her?”
Twilight nodded quickly. “Yeah. The doctors say she should be walking like normal… eventually… with physical therapy. Princess Luna still uses the chair at court because of how long she has to sit, you see.” Twilight looked away again, unable to meet Cadance’s gaze. “The blast I hit her with caused pretty severe nerve and muscular damage. That’s why she’s still recovering all these years later.”
“Wow...Twily, I don’t know what to say.” Cadance shook her head and then fixed Twilight in place with another stare. “There was no other way, right? You did what you had to do to save Celestia and bring Luna back to her right mind...right?”
Twilight nodded slowly, barely moving her head. They walked on in silence together for a while, the splashing of their steps and the gurgling of the slow moving water the only noise filling the air between them. Twilight stopped when they reached the next ladder and gestured up it. “We’re here, Princess. Let me go check it first; then you come up.”
Cadance nodded and put a wing on Twilight’s shoulder, stopping the unicorn at the bottom of the ladder. “Twily, thank you. Thank you for saving Celestia and Luna. They are my aunts and the only family I still have. I would hate to lose them.”
“You won’t ever lose them, if I have any say in it.” Twilight smiled, grabbed a rung of the ladder with her forehooves. “Another thing you’ve missed is how protective I’ve become of them both. My name has pretty much become slang for the asswhooping you get if you mess with a Princess of Equestria. You included.”
Cadance giggled, watching Twilight pull herself up to the pony-hole cover and lift it up slightly to look around. The cobblestone alleyway beyond was empty, shaded by tall brick buildings on either side. The sounds of a busy street could be heard distantly, and the strong scent of a nearby bakery mingled grossly with the stale air in the drainage pipe.
Twilight lowered the cover and looked back down at Cadance. “It’s clear, come up and stick close. We’re going to be more or less in the open for the last 50 or so yards to the safe house door. Spike should be inside waiting on us. We then hold tight until the all clear is given.”
“Yes ma’am!” Cadance snapped a quick salute and started up the ladder. “So, if anything does happen, I trust you’ll go ‘Twilight Sparkle’ on whoever tries any funny business?”
Twilight shoved the cover off and quickly pulled herself out of the sewer before turning around and offering her hoof to Cadance. “You have my word, Princess.”
“Twily, just call me Cadance.” Cadance grinned and reached to the outstretched hoof. When she grabbed Twilight, she pulled her protector in close and softly brushed their lips together. “Now get me into the safe house. I would kill for a hot shower right about now.”
Twilight froze again for what seemed the hundredth time since Princess Cadance waltzed back into her life. The pink alicorn was going to get them both killed if she kept causing her protector to lock up at crucial moments. Twilight’s mind buzzed. It isn’t even with anything so much as a Hold Pony enchantment. It’s just a kiss. A kiss! A kiss from the prettiest filly in the world - sweet alicorns above, does she have the softest lips!
Twilight could feel a blush flaring up her neck as Cadance hauled herself out onto the cobblestone alleyway. Twilight reminded herself that her Princess was exposed in this narrow alley; anyone that so much as glanced down it would see them. This was no time to get lost in Cadance’s scent or silky mane. Twilight lit her horn, throwing back her cloak so she could draw her short gnarled staff from its holster at her side.
“Stay by me, Princess...er...Cadance. We only need to make it to the end of the alley.” Twilight tipped the staff toward the far end. “There is a recessed door there enchanted to open only for an alicorn. I want you in front while I cover the rear. Walk briskly. Running will draw attention from the side streets.”
Cadance nodded curtly. “I understand. What do you suggest I do if we are attacked?”
Twilight raised a surprised eyebrow. “You’re taking this seriously?”
“This isn’t my first time to the rodeo, Twily. You aren’t the only one that has learned some new tricks these last five years. Now that we’re out in the open, this is your show.” Cadance smiled and did a small curtsey. “I shall follow your lead, my little dynamite.”
“Um...thanks. Really, Prin...er...Cadance. That means a lot.” Twilight grinned for a moment before she steeled her expression into something resembling professional. “Okay, if something happens, I want you to hit the deck and shut your eyes. A lot of my spells are flashy and if you can’t see afterwards I’ll have to carry you to safety.”
“What if I wanted you to carry me?” Cadance batted her eyes, starting to trot toward the safe house door.
“Do you ever plan to stop teasing me?”
Candance bounced as she moved, but remained silent. Twilight sighed and threw a quick look back down the alleyway toward the busy crowds. Ponies of all colors and diamond dog merchants passed along the cross street into what sounded like an open air market on the next block. No one seemed to have noticed them yet, so she scanned the rooftops before moving to catch up with Cadance.