• Published 5th Aug 2014
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Together Forever - Snake Staff



Centuries in the future, Shining Armor lives on with his beloved wife. But what price does immortality demand?

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My Shining

I’m sure everypony among us has heard the words:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

Beautiful words, for whatever it’s worth. They were written a long time ago, but they still resound in the soul of anypony who reads them. And, as the Princess of Love, I can assure you that every word is true.

But there are other words that are just as true, but nopony likes to hear:

Love does not want to let go.

Everything has its dark side, and love is no exception.


I keep my eyes closed for several minutes while I wait to make absolutely certain that my Shining is asleep. I don’t much like keeping things from him, especially things this important, but like Auntie Celestia told me when I was little: sometimes, a princess has to do what a princess has to do. And Princess Mi Amore Cadenza does not intend to let her very special somepony down.

It’s honestly a bit hard to judge whether he’s really asleep nowadays. The body that Twilight and I made for him doesn’t breathe (and therefore doesn’t snore), and has no real natural movement to it. Most of the time I have to cast a small spell just to be sure that Shiny has actually fallen asleep. I do that now…

Yep! He’s out like a light. Even after all this time he’s still a heavy sleeper. His stories of the problems it caused him in the Royal Guard always make me giggle.

I feel a little guilty for leaving him alone, but he shouldn’t notice anything. I’ll be back in bed in a few hours, in time to wake him up by nibbling on his ear. He always did enjoy that.

My horn flares briefly, and I vanish from our bed, reappearing in what has become my nightly abode. Most ponies say that it isn’t healthy to be getting only a two or three hours of sleep every night. I say that I’m a damn alicorn princess. A walking demigod amongst ponies. At my age, I can raze whole cities to the ground by myself, or grow a forest overnight through will and magic alone. I do as I wish, when I wish, where I wish. And what I wish is to help Shining. Besides, my husband has gone centuries without the ability to feel the breeze on his face, to taste food in his mouth, or to be intimate with his wife for my sake. I can make do with a bit less sleep every night for his.

I appear in a blue flash deep underground. These caverns were first mines, then prison cells when their veins of gems ran out, and then they became something much darker with coming of King Sombra. They were his laboratories.

Of course, I’ve long since dispelled the last remnants of his dark magic that lingered here, substituting my own – considerably less lethal – defenses in their place. That, plus the rumor that I may or may not have been involved in concocting, that Sombra’s ghost haunts this place, always seeking fresh ponies to devour, has kept ponies away. This place is my secret, and what lurks down here would be scandalous if it were known to the public.

No, I don’t keep little fillies and colts down here and drink their innocent blood to retain my eternal youth. Nor am I some serial killer who likes to lure innocents to their doom and bake them into my pastries. I do not plot to summon unholy abominations from another dimension to consume the world. (Why would I? I live there.)You really shouldn’t believe what those conspiracy rags tell you.

Revolting but true side note: Sombra actually did try drinking the blood of foals to retain his youth, if his notes are to be believed. Didn’t work.

No, what would be scandalous for me if it were known is the fact that, while I did smash his vile instruments of torture and burnt his experimental devices to cinder, I didn’t fully destroy all of Sombra’s work. While I hate to credit the evil stallion for anything, whatever else he was the tyrant king was a genius. Ruthless? Yes. Cruel? Yes. Megalomaniacal? Yes. Utterly repulsive? Yes. A dark genius in spite of everything? Also yes.

In Sombra’s own quest for immortality and ever-increasing power, he plumbed the depths of biology to the extent that even now, almost a millennium and a half later, we are still catching up to him on some things. His remorseless tactics, such as deliberately introducing injury and disease to helpless prisoners and carefully recording each progression before testing a cure, gave him a wide knowledge of pony biology. What I find most simultaneously fascinating and yet disturbing are his extensive writings on alicorn physiology.

I knew for a long time that my predecessor as princess of the Crystal Empire had been an alicorn. When Sombra staged his coup, the cruel master of dark sorcery faced off one-to-one against the demigoddess that protected the empire and its Crystal Heart. And the goddess fell. And the Crystal Empire fell. With a victory like that in hoof, Sombra was able to declare himself king and nopony, not even Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna, dared to challenge him for years.

What I didn’t know, until the time came to clean out these caverns, was that Sombra had claimed the broken corpse of his enemy as a trophy and an experiment. There’s no easy way to say this: he dissected her piece-by-piece, documenting everything he saw. He used her body parts to fuel dark magic, such as when he tossed her heart into the molten metal he used to forge the Alicorn Amulet. Then he mounted her skeleton in a glass case and kept it down here to examine and gloat over at his leisure. The skeleton was still there when I found this place. And it’s still there now.

I haven’t told anypony about it. Not even my aunties. Not even Twilight. Not even Shining. The princess’s remains still have a touch of magic about them, even after all this time. I’d like to bury the bones with honor, and I still intend to do that someday, but… I’m afraid I may need them. I still don’t know how I’m going to make Shining a new body, but some instinct tells me these old bones may be important. Until I can get my Shiny out of that crystalline prison, I won’t get rid of them.

I walk through the illusionary wall hiding the door, deactivate the jinxes carved into the walls, and identify myself to the crystal golems I’ve made to guard this place. Once this cavern was Sombra’s laboratory, and now it’s mine. I have rack upon rack filled with potions, ingredients, alchemy reagents, and chemical solutions. My bookcases are covered in tomes mundane and magical by authors from Staswirl to Celestia. My notes, and Sombra’s as well, are neatly organized into binders and filed by topic, date, and relevance. Twilight would be proud, if the alicorn skeleton in a glass case sitting beside one of my chemistry sets didn’t freak her out first.

All that is expensive, but truthfully I couldn’t care less what this costs me. I’m wealthy on my own, and I have all the resources of our prosperous empire backing me up. Shining gave up his very afterlife – and I have no doubt at all in my mind that it would have been a very pleasant one, with his parents and old friends and even our precious children – just so I wouldn’t have to spend an eternity without him. The least I can do in return is create a proper eternal body for him.

I crack open my notes to where I was last night and get to work.


The sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon when I teleport back to our bedroom. I sigh lightly in relief when I see that Shiny is still asleep where I’d left him. I crawl softly into bed – not an easy task for a mare my size, let me tell you – and tuck myself under the covers. The feeling is simply divine. The sheets are imported Canterlot silk, soft and smooth and oh so comfy. The mattress is soft enough to be mistaken for a cloud, and as a born pegasus I assure you that I know what that feels like. Our bed is cool to my touch, just the way I like it. I snuggle up like a foal and prepare for my short hours of rest.

Then the guilt hits me. Always does whenever I’m enjoying something nice. Shining can’t feel this. He hasn’t felt the smooth touch of silk on his coat in hundreds of years. He couldn’t taste the sweet fruit I snacked on while I worked, not even if I fed it to him like we did on our honeymoon. Even now, the reason the bed is cold is that his body doesn’t generate any actual heat, having no need to do so. And why is that? Because Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is a selfish witch who insisted on imprisoning his very soul rather than accepting the inevitable. Because she couldn’t be like her aunties who, when the time came, bid the stallions they had loved goodbye and mourned for them, but didn’t allow their feelings to turn into obsessive clinging.

I feel like such an awful, self-centered pony. I practically blackmailed Shining Armor into accepting this – demanded he sacrifice everything for all eternity just to please me. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was thinking about committing suicide if he died, but now I think that, at least on some subconscious level, I was playing on his good nature. He’s always wanted to be the knight in shining armor, to protect the lady fair from the wicked dragon. So I made a dragon for him to save me from, and then insisted he suffer day by day to keep it away from me. What kind of wife does that?

You know the worst part? I haven’t changed a bit. No matter what my aunties might say, Princess Cadence hasn’t grown past the spoiled, selfish foal that clings to her favorite toy forever. I still, even knowing how much I’ve hurt him by making him live like this, can’t bring myself to let him go. I suppose Chrysalis and I aren’t as different as I liked to believe. I feed on another’s love to sustain myself just as much as she ever did.

When I turn my head to look at him, tears well up in my eyes. Oh Shining, why couldn’t you be the alicorn, and I the statue?


It’s later in the morning. Everypony is up and about again. This time we’re attending something of a fair Twilight set up in a field at the edge of the Empire’s capital for her World Forum of Peace and Cooperation. She’s as darling as she ever was as a filly. I’m glad she’s an alicorn now – she’s a wonderful addition to the family.

Shiny has duties he has to attend to setting up for events later this evening, so for now it’s just me and my pair of guards. Normally I’d walk the Crystal Empire without them, but with so many strangers here Shining insisted. After what I’ve done to him, how could I say no? Besides, I don’t want to be any more of an emotional leech on him than I already am.

Walking between the tents, I spy some of my family among the crowd. I wave and call them over for a little chat, and they happily oblige. There’s Diamond Eyes, my great-great-great-granddaughter, by way of my son. She’s with her husband Gallium, and their beautiful little filly Snowflake. She’s only a few months old, and still being pushed in her stroller. But even she knows enough to squeal happily at the sight of Grandma Cadence. I smile and nuzzle the little one a bit. I’ve always liked foals, ever since I foalsat as a side job at Auntie Celestia’s recommendation. I can clearly remember the names and faces of every generation of my own foals ever since I carried the twins so long ago. That’s part of what makes attending their funerals so hard for me.

The conversation I have with my descendants is ordinary and rather trifling, but pleasant. I keep my Serene Alicorn Facetm and enjoy chatting with my family about the same thing for the latest time in a long series of such talks. Really, after you’ve had the same conversation a dozen times or so, it ceases to be intrinsically meaningful and instead becomes about whatever pony you’re spending time with. And I always enjoy seeing my ever-growing family.

Then, all too soon, it’s over, and the trio and I go our separate ways. I wish them a happy day and ask that they visit their old fuddy duddy grandparents whenever they can. They agree, and I smile to see them trotting off to enjoy Twilight’s fair. Hopefully I’ll see them again very soon.

I do my own thing, for the most part. Since Shiny isn’t here, I pick up a caramel apple (still a favorite) despite the twinge of guilt it causes, and munch on it as I sit back and relax. There’s lots of love and happiness in the air here – I can always feel it – and their joy is my joy. That’s part and parcel of being an alicorn, especially the Princess of Love; you feel what the ponies around you feel. It’s why I still rule, in spite of all the irritations and distractions it’s brought me. I simply trot around, exchanging pleasantries and basking in the warm glow of others’ happiness. The only thing that could make this better is if a certain somepony was with me. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you who.


It’s hours into today’s WFPC fair, though for a mare like me such a span passes in a metaphorical eye blink. Judging from the position of Auntie Celestia’s sun, I would hazard a guess that we’re nearing midday. The carnival is more packed than ever, as the ordinary ponies – or “commoners” as the stuffier nobility might call them – come out to join the delegates. I’ve had a thoroughly enjoyable morning making small-talk, mingling, and soaking in affection.

“Princess Cadenza?” comes a voice through the crowd. I turn to face it. It’s Lady Rose Quartz, though I don’t see her son anywhere. She gives me flourishing bow. “Your majesty.”

“Oh, there’s no need to be so formal. Not here. Just call me Cadence,” I answer. I’ve got an excellent poker face – thanks Auntie – and keep it, but even glutted on happiness as I am I can sense that this is no coincidental meeting. This mare has been seeking me out. Alone. “May I call you Rose?”

“Her majesty may call me what she wishes,” she replies, looking up from her bow.

I sigh slightly and resist the urge to roll my eyes. “It’s good to see you here. I trust you’re enjoying the festivities?” I wave a hoof around at the carnival.

“They have been… delightful, your highness,” she says. I can feel the disdain rolling off of her as she lies to my face. It’s never pleasant, but I’ve gotten used to this sort of insincerity. Comes with the job, you know.

“Was there something you wanted?” I ask her in a pleasant tone. I’d rather get this done as quickly as possible and get back to metaphysically stuffing myself with my little ponies’ pleasure. She probably wants to lobby me for some pet project or perhaps influence my opinion on some piece of legislation or another. It’s a necessary part of governing, but I find it thoroughly tedious.

“You are perceptive as always, majesty.” She gives me another bow while I again resist rolling my eyes at the theatrics. Her eyes flick from side to side. “Might we speak somewhere slightly more… private?” she half whispers.

“Very well,” I tell her. Again, I honestly just want this over and done with as soon as possible, and appeasing her paranoia seems the easiest way to get that. “Follow me.” I lead our little group to something of an alleyway between carnival tents before addressing me guards. “Gentlecolts, if you would kindly ensure our privacy for just a few moments, I’d be very grateful.”

The two stallions nod and take up position on either end of the makeshift alley. My horn flickers and we’re encased in an invisible bubble. The sound around us disappears. All either of us can hear are each other, now, and nopony else will be able to listen in on what we’re saying.

“My thanks for your valuable time, your highness,” she says.

“So, how may I help you?” I ask her.

“Your majesty... there have been… whispers… among the nobility.”

“There are always whispers among the nobility,” I reply drily. “Please, spare us both the pretense and tell me what it is you want.”

She swallows. “Of course, your highness.” She gives another bow. “It is about your… husband.”

About Shiny? What are they saying now? A thousand different possibilities flash through my mind, each worse than the last. I keep my face serene, but wings start to ruffle slightly. The movements are so small that nopony but a pegasus might notice, and Lady Rose, like all crystal ponies, is an earth pony.

“Do go on,” I prod her, my tone slightly lower now.

“Some of us… question his continued… suitability for the role.”

What?! How dare they?! After all Shining Armor has done for the Crystal Empire, these useless layabouts are calling his suitability into question? My wings twitch a little faster now, my feathers standing on end.

She continues. “In light of his… impairments, some of us feel that it may be time for her highness to… take a new consort. Perhaps one capable of… siring foals?”

My wings burst out into their full glory. There it is. They want me to toss aside Shiny – after everything he’s endured for me – like so much worthless garbage and replace him with one of them. I don’t doubt that the “good lady” Rose Quartz has a certain stallion in mind, who by some total coincidence is also her bachelor of a son.

I confess: I don’t think I’ve felt such apocalyptic levels of rage towards anypony since the day I first arrived at the Crystal Empire and felt the citizens' collective misery and suffering under Sombra. My inner god-queen, that imperial voice that resides in the hearts of all alicorns, wants me to smite this insolent mortal into dust and ash on the spot for her audacity and call down a curse on her household. I’m seriously tempted. And I could do it too.

Lady Rose Quartz had better thank her lucky stars that Auntie Celestia was such a good tutor. She taught me not to go down that route, warned me of what lay at the end. Sombra. Chrysalis. Nightmare Moon. Discord. Tirek. I don’t want to be the next great tyrant of this world, but I swear by the sun and moon and stars that this… witch is making it seem a very attractive proposition.

In the end, I compromise a bit more than I think Celestia would approve of.

Leave,” I hiss between gritted teeth. I can sense her rising panic, the sense that she’s stepped too far out of line. She backs away as I take a few steps forward, towering over her. “Leave my presence.” The wind picks up, and my eyes start to glow a solid white. “And don’t you ever dare to say such things in my hearing again, or I swear by all that is holy what I will do to you will make King Sombra look MERCIFUL!” The last word I roar in my Royal Canterlot Voice. It’s so loud she actually topples over from the sheer volume, the tent flaps around her quaking as if in a strong wind.

She flees as fast as her legs can carry her without another word. A very wise decision.

Some would say I should feel bad for scaring a mare so. But right now, the only thing I really feel bad about is leaving her alive.