Chapter Three: The Marketplace leads to...
Luna’s night was once again black, but this time it had the beautiful Full Moon and more stars than Cadence could count. Underneath her brown hooded cloak she still wore her blue ‘Princess-y’ clothing, but she had roughened her mane and tail and made herself look more like a peasant pony. She refused to stand as little mare for anypony, and would not be sold off as some prize to be won.
She carefully climbed up the tree that would lead into the city, not wanting to risk the Guards see her fly over the wall. A tugging pulled her back. Looking down she saw Fluttershy with Angel on her back. “I’m sorry Fluttershy,” tears welled into Cadence’s eyes. “But I can’t stay here and let Starswirl run my life for me,” they hugged, tears falling freely. “I’m sorry,” Cadence sniffed, wiping her eyes. “Why don’t you come with me?” Cadence begged.
Fluttershy shook her head, making her own cotton candy colored mane fly. “I can’t, if one Princess disappears than another will have to take her place. You’re older, but there still has to be one Princess left. If they thought Starswirl had something to do with it, then Saddle Arabia’s hierarchy could fall into anarchy,” her eyes were downcast and sullen. “I can’t let that happen, it was bad enough the first time. I won’t let it happen again,” she promised. Cadence nodded, feeling guilty about it all but she couldn’t be any Unicorn’s prize. She couldn’t and she wouldn’t. She was not a mare to be wed as she was not a prize to be won.
This time she climbed up the wall again, but had the help of Fluttershy this time. “Goodbye,” she whispered, disappearing over the wall and into Luna’s night. Fluttershy laid on the ground, Angel on her head, as she cried for the first time in the longest of times.
**********
The sun beat down on the marketplace. Shining Armor and Twilight sat carefully above one of the fresh fruit stands. “Okay,” he raised a hoof. “Go,” he swiped it. She saluted and leaned her head down and with her magic grabbed one of the green fruits(I forgot what kind of fruit it was)
“Hey, you, get away from there!” the mustached stallion ordered her. She blew him a raspberry. “Why you!” he put the other down and didn’t notice Shining Armor’s hooves grab the other. He ripped it from Twilight’s hoofs and when he realized something was amiss, she was already gone back to the top.
“Nicely done Twi,” she licked her lips lightly as Shining Armor broke it in half over his knee. “Breakfast,” he gave her hers and bit into his own.
~Cadence~
“Pretty mare, buy a necklace?” one of the stallions offered her a lovely necklace, but she politely decline. The marketplace was rather lovely. She wished she’d thought of this sooner.
“Pistachio? Nuts and pistachio,” another offered.
“Fresh fish!” her heart leapt as another waved a giant blue fish in her face.
“No, thank you,” she shook her head, not noticing the stallion with fire in his mouth behind her. She bumped into him, making him swallow it. “I’m sorry--” he belched out fire and she jumped, eyes wide and hood falling from her head. Also not notcing the blue eyes watching her with curiosity and awe.
“Wow...” Shining Armor whispered, seeing the most beautiful pink mare in all of Equestria. Twilight noticed her brother’s googly eyes at something.
“Shining Armor?” she waved a hoof in front of them, also seeing how he paid her no attention.
Cadence noticed a small white colt with brown spots, a brown mane and tail, and brown eyes reaching for an apple, unable to get it. “Aw, you must be hungry,” he looked up to her. “Here you go,” she handed him one, not noticing how he ran off after the stallion turned around.
“You better be able to pay for that,” he growled.
She turned and looked confused. “Pay?” he grabbed her foreleg forcibly.
“No one steals from my stand!” he snapped. She began to panic. “Please, if you let me go to the Sultan I can get some bits...”
She began to stutter and apologize. “Do you know what the penalty is for stealing?” he raised a sword with his other hoof that wasn’t holding hers down and the crowd began to look frightened.
He was about to slam it down, but another strong hoof held his up. “Thank you, kindest sir. I am so thankful you found her,” Shining Armor took the sword from him. “I’ve been looking all over for you,” he waved his hoof at her.
“What are you doing?” she whispered after he handed her the sword.
“Just play along,” he whispered back before the red stallion pulled on his shoulder.
“You know this girl?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Sadly, yes. She’s my cousin’s sister’s sister,” Cadence raised an eyebrow herself but the stallion seemed to buy it, more or less.
“She said she knew the Sultan,” the stallion pointed out. Shining Armor pretended to snort.
“She thinks my sister is the Sultaness,” Twilight blushed and looked bashful. Cadence took this as the cue and bowed to the purple coated Unicorn.
The crowd gathered and some were smiling. “Tragic isn’t it,” he grabbed another apple and held it in front of his face. “But, no harm done, now come along cousin, time to go see the doctor,” she bugged her eyes just a bit.
“Well, hello doctor. How are you?” she asked a sad and confused looking donkey. Shining Armor chuckled. Was her talent acting? He wondered.
“No, no, no. Not that one,” he looked back to Twilight. “Come on Sultaness,” she did a fake grand bow, accidentally dropping out more apples and bits.
The crowd laughed and the cart owner glared as the three ran off, Twilight still managing to snag three apples.
~Sombra~
The Changeling was panting, his lungs feeling deflated, as he powered up the giant clear glass ball that was brewing up a red storm. “With all do respect, mother and my Queen... Couldn’t you just wait for a real storm?” he begged.
“Save your breathe Jetsam, faster,” Chrysalis ordered.
“Yes, mother,” he panting, running as fast as his holey legs could go.
Sombra placed the diamond into its spot between both halves of the giant hourglass. “Reveal sands of time, the one who can enter the cave,” the sand morphed into the Chimera’s head and below it showed Shining Armor climbing a latter as he helped two mares as well. Sombra grinned almost sadistically and madly. “There he is, my diamond in the rough,” he gasped.
The Changeling gaped with wide pure green eyes. “That’s him? That’s the guy you’ve been waiting for-- AGH!” he made the mistake of letting go and was paying the price by flying through the turning wheels.
“Why don’t you have the guards give him an extended visit?” Chrysalis grinned as Sombra smirked. “Shall we?” she pleaded.
“Swell,” the Changeling coughed out and Sombra laughed maniacally.
~Cadence, Shining Armor, & Twilight~
Shining Armor helped the mare up as Twilight giggled behind her hoof. Her brother liked her, she could tell. Cadence tripped and fell into his arms, blushing as she did. “I wanted to thank you for stopping that stallion,” Shining Armor smiled softly.
“Forget it,” using his horn he picked up a rather long stick, and Twilight clung to his shoulders. “So this is your first time in the marketplace, huh?” she chuckled as they leapt over to the other building.
“Is it that obvious?” she asked as he pulled out a long and sturdy board.
His eyes became lightly dazed. “Well, you do kind of stand out,” she smiled and blushed. He realized what he said. “I mean uh-- you don’t seem to know how dangerous Saddle Arabia can be,” both were surprised, Twilight’s jaw even hung unattractively, as she too leapt over.
She giggled. “I’m a fast learner,” she threw the other stick into his hooves.
Shining Armor led her into the place he and Twilight called home. “Whoa, watch your head there,” he warned about the fallen rafter. “Oh, be careful,” he added, she looked around curiously.
“Is this where you live?” she asked with bright eyes.
“Yep, just me and Twili. We come and go as we please,” she smiled even brighter. Shining Armor flushed.
“That sounds amazing,” he chuckled.
“It’s not much, but it is home. And it’s got the most amazing view,” she showed her the city and the glowing castle. She frowned as he and Twilight smiled.
She sat down. “The palace looks beautiful doesn’t it? I wonder what it would be like to live there. Have servants, ballets,” she almost snorted, remembering Starswirl, the Vizier, and the suitors.
“Sure, people telling you where to go and how to dress. Telling you to do this and that,” he chuckled, taking an apple and taking a bite out of it.
“Better than here, it’s nothing but scrapes and scraps. And you saw that stallion today. You don’t want to get caught either, that will get you killed or you’ll lose a limb,” she shook her head.
“Never free, to make your own choices... and you’re just...”
They spoke in unison, and Twilight smirked in knowing. “Trapped.”
The Unicorn and the Pegasus looked at each other and Cadence smiled. “So, where you from,” he tossed her an apple that she caught easily. She scoffed.
“What does it matter? I ran away and I have no intention of ever going back,” he looked at her oddly.
“Really? How come?” Twilight’s ears perked up as something happened. There was a loud noise downstairs, but neither her brother nor the mare seemed to notice.
Cadence sighed sadly. “My godfather is forcing me to be married, and since I’m the older Pegasus I only had three more days,” Shining Armor looked horrified.
“That’s... that’s awful,” Cadence chuckled.
“Not much could be done about it, except me leaving,” she sighed, remembering Fluttershy’s heartbroken face.
“I wish there was something I could do to help,” she smiled.
“That’s very sweet,” they were leaning closer, and Cadence felt an odd sensation in her flank(pervs) but they were interrupted by the Guards angry yell.
Together they said; “They’re after me!” and looked at each other “They’re after you!?”
“Starswirl must have sent them,” Cadence thought in horror.
Shining Armor looked down with wide blue eyes and helped Twilight onto his back. He turned to Cadence and held out a hoof. “Do you trust me?” he asked.
She looked at him. “What?”
“Do you trust me?” he repeated, urgency in his voice.
Hesitantly she raised her hoof to his own. “Yes?” she almost whispered as he clutched her hoof tightly.
“Then jump!” they leapt, and she had to bite her cheeks painfully to prevent a scream.
All three landed in the sand, and before they could run they almost ran into another guard and barely missed the flying sword. “Go,” this time Shining Armor did run into a Guard.
“We just keeping running into each other. Don’t we filthy rat?” the guard grinned until Twilight slammed his turban back over his eyes, again.
He threw the purple Unicorn into the sand and the others grabbed Shining Armor. “Take him to the Palace,” the Guard ordered.
“Let him go!” Cadence slapped her hoof to his shoulder and he laughed cruelly.
“Lookee here men, another street-mare,” he laughed, pushing her down as well.
Is this how Starswirl and Sombra allow the Guards to treat the ponies of the city? She thought angrily. This was ridiculous and horrid. “Let him go, by order of Princess Cadence,” she ripped her hood off her head, revealing her golden crown and her face. The stallions gasped and bowed.
“Princess Cadence,” the stallion gaped at his hooves.
Shining Armor managed to lift his head. “The Princess?” he stared.
“The Princess?” Twilight whispered.
“What are you doing outside the palace walls?” the Guard asked. “And with these rats?” Cadence waved a hoof in front of her face.
“That is none of your concern, do as I told you. Release him,” she ordered.
The Guard sighed through his nose. “I would Princess, but my orders come from Sombra,” he bowed again as they led Shining Armor away to the Palace. “You’ll have to take it up with him,” she folded her arms over her chest.
“Believe me, I will,” she vowed.
~Sombra~
As quitly as he could, Sombra crept out of the secret room. “Sombra!” Cadence’s vowed echoed through the halls. He turned, thankful the wall was almost completely closed, but he didn’t notice parrot Chrysalis get stuck between.
“Princess Cadence,” she groaned as the wall seemed to crush her body.
“Sombra...” she rasped out. “I’m stuck,” she pulled on his black cloak.
He did a fake low bow. “How may I be of service to you?” he asked.
“The Guards just took a stallion from the market. On your orders?” he clucked his tongue.
“The stallion was a criminal,” he defended with a shrug.
Cadence glowered at the dark stallion she had come to loathe over the years. He was the Royal Vizier, but often or not he acted as though he was Saddle Arabia’s Sultan. She wondered if that was in his plan in his dark, black, and cold heart. “What was his crime?” she inquired.
“I can’t breathe, Sombra,” Chrysalis coughed, still tugging.
“Why, pony-napping the Princess of course,” he kicked Chrysalis in the face, pushing her back into the wall.
“OH THAT HURT!” she screamed, and it was a surprise Cadence paid no attention to it.
Cadence almost rolled her eyes. “He didn’t pony-nap me, I ran away,” she confessed.
Sombra’s eyes widened. “Oh, oh dear. Had I not known...” she looked at him with slightly scared eyes.
“What do you mean Sombra?” she asked, he turned back to her.
“The stallion’s sentence, by now it has already been carried out,” her heart clenched tightly in her chest.
“What sentence?” she feared the answer.
Sombra looked somber. “Death,” she gasped. “By beheading,” tears brimmed in her eyes. “I am exceedingly and eternally sorry Princess,” his hoof barely touched her shoulder before she ran away crying.
Chrysalis finally managed to struggle her way out and was caughing as she flew up to Sombra’s shoulder. “Eh... hah...” she gasped. “So how did it go?” she asked.
“I think she took it...” he smirked. “Rather well,” Chrysalis grinned toothily. Oh, if only she knew.