The Calm
“Everything is negotiable. Whether or not the negotiation is easy is another thing.”
-Carrie Fisher
“What in Celestia’s name just happened?” Vinyl asked the question that was blitzing it’s way through Shining’s mind. It had all just happened at such a breakneck pace, first the reinstatement of Thestrals, then all of the nobles were arrested and…and now everything was different. Just like that.
“I believe we just witnessed a revolution.” Velvet spoke up first. “Usurping the House of Nobles and reinstating a true diarchy…I will admit, I did not see that one coming today.” Shining wanted to laugh, but he couldn’t. He was in shock still, he had just witnessed the most significant Guard action in history. Not to mention what it did to his potential promotion.
Whatever leverage his grandmother had with Galea, whatever power, was most likely gone now. So that left him on shaky ground with the only course of action being doing a damn fine job. He literally had to blow Galea away with progress or else he was gone.
Now how in the hell was he supposed to do that?
“Twinkle! Yo, Twinkle!” Shining blinked, a white hoof being waved in front of his face snapping him out of his worry. “I kinda want your thoughts on this whole thing. Because I really don’t know how to feel about this whole thing.” Shining was still trying to process it as well, but he would give it his best shot.
“Well…” Shining started with a sigh. “…I think being a guard just got a lot more complicated. Other than that, I guess we wait for the trials for the Nobles. They aren’t guilty yet, so we just have to wait for that to come to fruition.” Shining thought it over, and his mind settled on the Princesses. “Couple that with a fundamental change in the way the government is run, and we have a recipe for disaster, or at least some unexpected changes. Cadance is going to become a lot more busy, that’s the only thing I can say for certain.” He was trying to look at this from a more pragmatic point of view, which was helping with coping with the whole thing.
“So, long story short: everything is kind of screwed at the moment and we know nothing except that Princess Pink in the Dream castle is going to have extra hard days.” Well, when Vinyl put it like that, it sounded a hell of a lot less optimistic. When framed as ‘pony you don’t really like is going to have a hard time’, it’s hard to feel bad.
“I need to go find Mother.” Velvet leaned over the railing to better see into the tangle of restrained nobles. “If she was able to blackmail Galea, who knows if something has happened to her.” Yeah, Shining wasn’t too worried about Grandma Satin. Worst-case scenario she was in cuffs down there and pissed beyond all belief, and best-case scenario she was just pissed beyond all belief.
Galea had messed with and taken away her power, and given direct power to the one pony that was no longer connected to her. If Shining didn’t know better, he would say this was a coincidence. It wasn’t, though. This was one big rude gesture to his grandmother straight from the Captain of the Guard.
“What’s the plan, Twinkle?” Again, Vinyl with the pertinent questions. He didn’t really have a plan except for go home and try to get everything for tomorrow set up. That was all he could do, wait.
He hated waiting.
----
Galea trotted off of the stage, Princess Cadance hot on her hooves. Of course there would be questions, and of course it would be the younger of the alicorns to ask them. Galea would do her best to address them, and hopefully put any of Cadance’s worries to rest.
“A full diarchy?” the Princess asked incredulously. “That’s not what we decided on, we agreed it would be a temporary arrangement until we found a better solution.” Galea smiled inwardly. The alicorn’s stern facade had cracked and faded in just one speech, now Galea had the upper hoof in dealings.
“This is the better solution,” Galea stated flatly. She stopped and turned around, facing the baffled Princess. As she was about to speak, Galea held up a hoof. “What? Do you want me to rescind my idea? Do you want me to tell Celestia that you got cold hooves and don’t think you can handle the responsibility, is that it?” Cadance’s lip stiffened. Galea could practically see the little alicorn telling herself to ‘buck up’ and not be afraid.
“I can handle the responsibility, I simply do not like to be tricked or lied to,” Cadance stated, stomping her gilded hoof on the tile. “When a deal is made, I expect it to be adhered to and not changed without my knowledge.”
“No decision has been made yet,” Galea posited. “I simply proposed the dissolution of the House. It is up to yourself and Princess Celestia to decide on the actual fate of such things.” Galea started to walk again, to her office. It was the only place she wanted to be at the moment, even if Celestia or the press would want her elsewhere.
“What are we supposed to do, Captain?” Cadance kept pace with Galea easily. “The ponies of Canterlot will have that idea in their head now. Are we supposed to just ignore them when all of the papers cry for the same?” Cadance was getting the picture now, that was good. Galea did not like ponies who were slow to catch on.
“That’s none of my concern, Princess Cadance.” Galea lifted her helmet off of her head, but kept it floating nearby. “My only concern is the nobility that have wronged this city facing justice. How the government changes is up to you and Celestia.” Once again, Galea had only wound up the cogs, now they were spinning freely. She knew the Princesses would not stop the spinning, they were not like that.
They reached her office, and she opened the door. Galea appreciated the silence of the Princess, it meant understanding and a form of compliance. That was all Galea could ask for in this time of uncertainty, a little understanding.
Speaking of uncertainty, in her office was a pony that nopony ever quite expected to be around. The slightly off-white stallion, his salt-and-pepper mane coiffed to perfection, was sitting in front of her desk. He simply raised an eyebrow at the Princess who followed Galea in.
“Good morning, Intrigue. A pleasure to see you as always.” She looked back to Cadance. “If you’re delivering your report on that special assignment, then I believe Princess Cadance should be here for this.” Galea strode across the room, putting her sword and helmet on their separate racks as she went and finally ending up behind her desk. “Please, Your Majesty, sit.”
Cadance did as she was asked and took a seat beside the stallion. What a life that Galea led where she could have a Princess and a Spymaster in the same room together. It was refreshing to have something as unique and unusual as this in her presence.
“It is about that assignment.” Intrigue straightened his posture and pulled a pair of glasses from seemingly nowhere. “My ponies have been following Shining Armor as you’ve instructed, and we have new information.”
“You’ve been spying on Shining Armor?!” Cadance stood up, her voice angry and full of venom. “F-for what purpose?” Galea internally rolled her eyes at the outburst. Such a childish thing to do: react without knowing everything.
“Because I do not trust him, Princess Cadance.” Galea leveled her icy glare at the alicorn. “I do not think he is taking his job seriously and I believe he would rather lie to me than do his job properly. I know his family and I know their methods. Now would you please be quiet and allow me to hear the rest of the report?” Cadance and Galea’s glares met, but Cadance’s faltered first.
“As I was saying…” Intrigue continued. “Vinyl Scratch is not going to forgive Skyward Glory, in fact she is cutting her out of her life entirely.” Galea knew that Shining Armor wasn’t up to the task of saving a pony who wasn’t able to be. Nopony was, but his hubris and pride would not allow him to step aside. “On top of that, we have more concerning things to discuss. I’m afraid he’s broken a few rules.” Galea smiled, this was going to be good. “It seems he is pursuing a relationship with Vinyl Scratch. Our surveillance spells caught them talking about it on more than one occasion.”
“W-what…?” Galea wished she was capable of that kind of shock, but alas she was not. It was Cadance who once more stood, a hoof to her agape mouth. Galea saw her mouthing the word ‘no’ over and over again.
“I don’t like rule breakers.” Galea stated. “If he admits to it or they do anything after his assignment is done, then he is gone. Until then I have no proof that he has done anything.” Galea did not like to be without proof or results. She had given the young guard a chance, but he had already unknowingly squandered it on a troublesome mare. “If he doesn’t get it through his head that his job is to get Vinyl Scratch better, then he is not worthy of the guard.” Galea looked down at her desk, a file labeled with Guard Armor’s cutie mark sitting on top of everything else. Probably the transcripts from the conversations.
The sound of a door closing drew her attention back to the room in front of her. It was now without a Princess.
Galea sighed.
“She’s going to do something stupid, isn’t she?”
----
Cadance galloped through the castle, tears barely contained. How could he even think of moving on so fast? He had told her that they could get back together! He had said that there was a chance and he would never really get over her! Now he was thinking of dating Vinyl? Didn’t he know it was going to cost him his job?
Didn’t he know how much it hurt…? Did he even think about how such a thing could make others feel? She knew that deep down she shouldn’t care about what Shining was doing, but she still care for him. No matter how much she tried to be like Celestia, how cold she tried to be, she just couldn’t let go of him in the core of her being.
Cadance’s panicked running transformed into a sad trot. The weight of everything finally settling down on her. Shining was moving on, and he was making a huge mistake. Moving on meant endangering his career and getting on Galea’s bad side.
Could Cadance sit back and allow that to happen? Could she be as distant as Celestia and just allow things to unfold? That was the dilemma: could she just sit back and let bad things happen to good ponies?
The bitter answer was ‘no’. She couldn’t let Shining jeopardize everything he had worked so hard for, for her last act of love she would save him from himself. She was going to have to change Vinyl’s mind about Glory and somehow pull them apart.
For now, there was only one place in the world that could help her accomplish that. The Royal Library. It had information on every kind of magic ever created or studied, including love magic. So maybe she could glean something from the tomes that could help her.
Her destination was reached easily and without incident. Her appearance alone had signalled the guard to open the locked archives when she arrived, and she made a beeline towards the section littered with books about love magic.
Cadance had spent many of her formative years in this very section of the library. She had developed her skills, honed her craft, in these very seats. Even after all of the years she had never read all of the books on the subject, there were still a few select tomes that had not been thoroughly explored before. Some because Celestia had forbidden her from touching them, others because she had never quite reached the skill level required to understand them. For the latter, Celestia had assured her she had all the time in the world to get them.
The alicorn pulled one of the more advanced tomes from the shelves. The title was ‘The Rose and The Dove’ and it was written by a pony from long ago named Eros, the progenitor of love magic. This was as advanced as it got, and she was going to need it. There had to be something inside that would allow her to change familial love, that could let her change minds and opinions.
She took the book and poured over it’s contents. From the beginning where it talked about increasing pleasure for sexual partners and how to extend orgasms for hours, to the more subtle arts of seduction and manipulation.
That’s when she found it, the spell she needed. It was old and complicated, and came from a land she couldn’t even pronounce. Some race called ‘Changelings’ had perfected it and passed it on to others. It allowed a pony powerful enough to effectively plant post-hypnotic suggestions in the minds of others when under the spell. It was nothing but a gentle stimulation, simple pleasure that pacified and allowed somepony with strong enough magic to just put ideas in. Eros had used it to push ponies together who needed it, Cadance was going to do the opposite for reasons that were just as good.
There was a problem, though. It could be administered through magic alone, but it was very short lived when done that way. Hours, maybe a day if she was lucky. The only way for it to linger, for weeks, even years the book said if the caster was powerful enough, was to administer it through an intimate method. The way a lover would, so either through a kiss or something more.
Considering the latter was unfathomable, Cadance would settle for the former. She would have to get in a room alone with Vinyl Scratch, administer the spell by way of kiss, and then issue her orders.
A twinge of guilt shuddered through Cadance. She was going to be doing something she promised she wouldn’t do again, she was going to mess with Vinyl’s head. But it was for her own good, for Shining’s own good.
She knew that didn’t make any of it morally right, but it made it palatable. That was all she needed to do, be able to live herself. She thought she could definitely do that, she could live with doing something ambiguous if it saved Shining’s career and Vinyl a lifetime of emotional pain.
She was going to go through with it.
----
Vinyl picked up a wooden spoon and scooped up a piece of the dish she had cooked. Gently, she blew the steam off of the gathering of foodstuffs and popped it in her mouth. It was a little hot, but it was as delicious as ever.
“What did you call this stuff, Scratch?” Vinyl was happy that Twinkle finally calmed down about the whole Galea thing. The whole day he had been spouting little hypotheticals and situations that could happen, all while berating Galea’s decision to include Bat Ponies back into the guard. He called them traitors, but Vinyl just put that bit on old school prejudice.
“Tater tot hotdish.” Vinyl stated for the umpteenth time. “I spent like a week in Whinnyapolis, and the dude I was staying with made it.” Luckily the weather in the north was no different from that of the mountain city, so she had adjusted nicely. “It’s casserole, but they call it a hotdish up north. It’s just some cream of mushroom soup, vegetables, and tater tots on top. Trust me, it’s really good.” Vinyl had like ten recipes up her sleeve she could do, and this was by far her favorite.
“I’ll give it a shot.” Twinkle said as he eyed the glass pan warily. “Just know I’m not that big of a fan of tater tots.” Sweet Celestia, he was getting weirder as time went on. It was always something with him.
“How do you not like tater tots?” Vinyl asked, scooping some of the dish onto plates. “They’re like a staple for foals everywhere.” She levitated one in front of Shining, which he took and carried over to the couch.
“I don’t know, it’s just the texture.” He stuck his fork into the food. “I’m really big on the texture of my foods. Tater tots, those chalky candies, and stuff like that. They just feel weird, so I don’t like eating them.” Vinyl rolled her eyes at the picky stallion as she took a seat beside him.
“What are you, six?” She pointed at his food with her fork. “Eat your damn food, you picky unicorn.” She started shoveling it into her mouth, happily eating one of her favorite dishes. She had cooked it specifically to take her mind off of everything that was going to happen soon.
“So for the order, I was thinking it would go Uncle B, Intrepid, Cadance and then Glory.” Shining chatted as he chewed his food. Pretty bad manners for someone who came from nobility, if Vinyl was to have an opinion on the matter. “I want some buffer between Uncle B and Glory, I want you to be able to marinate on what he says for awhile.”
“Do we really have to talk about this when I’m eating, Twinkle?” Vinyl questioned after swallowing. “Like, can’t we have an easy night before it all goes to hell tomorrow? I just want one easy day, I even made you my specialty as a bargaining chip.”
“Should’ve asked what my favorite food was if you wanted to negotiate.” Shining noted, which earned him a glare from Vinyl. “Alright, alright.” He relented, putting his hooves up in surrender. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Tonight will be the calm before the storm, got it.”
Vinyl could live with that for now. All she needed was a little time of peace to balance out the coming chaos. It didn’t hurt that she was with her favorite stallion through the whole thing, either.
Those doubts and negative feelings that she had been feeling about Twinkle, they had faded. They were all about her being afraid to mess it all up, they were all about her being afraid to hurt Twinkle and ruin his life. But what could she possibly do to cause that? They were going to go to Celestia and show her that Vinyl was fine now, that everything was good. Shining was going to get that promotion and then they could be happy.
Vinyl wasn’t going to fuck anything up this time.
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I think Cady is going to do something very, very, very stupid.
Shrink Laureate fetches popcorn.
Just fucking talk to them you piece of shit. Goddamnit Cadence, if ever there was a universe where an alicorn doesn't deserve to be called as such it's this one.
Forcible mind manipulation through means of magic should be a crime of the highest order. Even if it's for a righteous cause.
Cadence is like a child with her powers, it aggravates me how effectively she pisses me off in this story.
In other news, I am now properly conflicted in my attitude towards Galea, sure she's been a bitch, and she's upsetting the balance of things... but at least she's not a racist?
7825974
Just how old is Cadance in this story? Judging by Twily's age, I'd guess she's probably about 18 or 19? So yeah, she has a lot of growing up to do and has been pushed into power (and shortly into even more power, if events proceed as they are doing) a little too soon.
7825999
Personally, Cadance's age is a point of conflict for me. On one hand, she's an alicorn and probably ages slower than most ponies, so Lord knows how old she really is. On the other hand, she was in high school with Shining, which would pin her in her mid-late twenties.
Uuuugh the tension.
Galea's trying to figure out how to justify firing Shining because his grandmother was corrupt, Cadance is going to do even more stupid shit to try to stop it and probably not do a good job...
And, of course, Cadance keeps getting draw into Galea's pace.
Essentially Cadance has no control over Galea, and it's more the other way around.
Is Celestia doing anything at all, or just trying to let Cadance handle it? I half suspect she already has plans in place to handle this, should things go south, but she has no reason to so she's doing nothing yet.
And Cadance goes and proves that Armor was right to dump her.
7826061
I never said she's the best, just the best I've ever written.
7826016
It's kind of a comedy of errors, except it's a tension of fuckups. A conspiracy of dunces, if you will.
Front seat Tickets to the Apocalypse, Anyone? 5 bits with Free popcorn
*Starts Munching
I'm all for dramatic irony... but Cadence, no. Just no. This is such a poor idea. This is exactly what caused Shining to get mad at you, why would you think two wrongs make a right?
As for Galea... all hail the Lawful Evil. She is using the law to its fullest (minus potential spying, but that is debatable). Shining Armor is disobeying orders and the law by pursuing a relationship with Vinyl. Hate to say it, but he deserves to be fired already for his numerous infractions.
Onwards, purge the guard!
7826016
Celestia should be worried: Not only she has another pupil in the verge of the Dark Side (and this one an ascended alicorn rather than an aspirant like Sunset), but if the public catch wind over this the whole concept of "diarchy" will be tainted too. Tia´s long term plans regarding Luna will become far, far more prickly.
Cadence. Fucking. STOP.
7826235
But that would be BORING.
Also, she doesn't understand the word 'stop' apparently.
So... he's fired even after the assignment ends?
7826266
You got it.
And there's the canon shoehorn. Now all that's left is finding out whether it works or not.
I believe I saw the change... aka, cadances influence on Shining Armor
...
...
...
Might have to end up adding that tragedy tag with the way things are looking.
7826403
I still need to go back and change that. Hmm.
7826405
Well no one is going to die or anything.
Cadence has to do this without resorting to love magic or she'll screw up Equestria.
7826422
Or at least screw up Shining Armor and Vinyl.
7826432 Magic can't solved every problem.
7826452
Trust me, I know that. Let's hope that Cadance learns that lesson as well.
"shining armor broke up with me because I used mind magic. now he's dating another mare. I know how to fix it- more Mind Magic!" - Cadance
Are we sure she didn't get dropped on her head as a filly?
(here is a perfect example of why Hollywood style chick flicks are so drama filled. instead of talking like a rational adults, someone always does stupid shit like Cadance is doing)
7826657
Well, the problem she's trying to solve isn't Shining moving on, but that he seems to not be thinking deeply about consequences. That's the problem she sees and thinks needs fixing.
My goodness gracious, this chapter
Somewhere in my mind, the only two things I'm rooting for is Cadence's pure stupidity at work and Shining's "Rule Bucking" attitude
Because both of them just went head-first to a brick wall and suffered more than just a head injury...
7826465
I personally blame Celestia for allowing her to get scot free the first time with a mere "remember not doing it again". She should know better than letting an emotional imbalanced alicorn with emotion control powers unchecked.
Argh, the suspense. It's hard having the page load slowly on shitty foreign Internet, it's another to have all these cliffhangers!..
7827526
I think I have a problem with ending my chapters dramatically. Too many cliffhangers, methinks.
7827544
Bleh, what readers would come back if you didn't keep them on suspense for reading the next chapter?
Actually, I think I read some survey before where there's a decrease in people watching a story after the end of an arc. Was kinda neat.
7825315
...
Very true, very true.
7827710
Cadence: STOP IT. You are making a fair bid for the title of "worst pony."
I can't figure out Galea, though. I don't know if she's a good-intentioned extremist who is genuinely trying to do the right thing with the idea that the ends justify the means, or if she's a snake trying to advance herself under the veneer of a dutiful Guard.
7827725
Whoo! I'm glad you are both frustrated with Cadance and wary of Galea. Their subplots are by far one of my favorite things to write because I know the reactions I get are always the most...visceral.
As always, thank you for reading.
Christ! Cadance, you dumb fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffudgehead. She's gonna do something so incredibly stupid, and effectively make me hate her even more. Jeez... I was so happy for Shiny and V, now Cady's gonna fuck it up.
And freaking Galea, she's just... I don't know what to think about her anymore, jeez...
But damn fine work man, damn fine work!
7827801
I like how everyone who hated Galea is now on the fence about her. It's such a good little swing.
7827844
Indeed, you know what you're doing dude...
curses
7827942
(I don't really know what I'm doing) Seriously, I'm having a bit of difficulty wrapping this story up and it looks to be setting up for quite an ending.
And this is one reason why I never liked Cadance...the use of love magic...
7825999 I'm sure her age would be irrelevant in this situation, as I can likely assume that any lesson that contains any hint of magical mind manipulation will have a big old warning seminar, "Don't do this to anyone without their consent."
This message should be drilled into any legitimate mind bender from day one.
7828210
Best sign Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Discord, Rarity, Luna and who knows who else up for that class. We've seen that there's a LOT of mind-control magic in Equestria, and the ponies seem really blasee about it.
7827962
Sssh! I don't think anybody's noticed. Just keep quiet and we can sneak out the back.
*sigh* Oh where to start......
1. Caddy is about to fuck up big time this is NOT something to force "fix".
2. Galea is setting things up for when Luna returns NOT knowing she will not be Nightmare Moon by the end of it. On top of being a cold hearted BITCH who would just toss ponys like Vinyl in jail.
Oh this is going to be one hell of a train wreck with no real happy ending. Oh and frankly Vinyl is as fixed as you can get so yaaaaaa Galea is very wrong on that front and Tia will see that fact.
7827962
I eagerly await the ending to this story.
Either way man, you've gotten us all wrapped up in this story like a spider's web
And I just know... somehow, Cady will be earning my hate for all eternity... somehow.
Keep it up man.
She was in Whinnyapolis and didn't try the traditional Hearths Warming Lutfisk and Lutheran Ale? For shame, Scratch!
I am worried about Cadance's plan. it sounds foolish and horrible from what I have read.
I don't think Gales even realizes that she's subverting her oath and giving all the p power to punish her to the one pony likely to do something about it.
7829077 Wait.... What happens if Galea knows about Nightmare Moon and she is preparing her position of power in Equestria! She brings back Thestrals and everyone seems to think that they are traitors, meaning that they helped Nightmare and it's common knowledge, she gets rid of the house of nobles because they are the most likely to fight back against her, or just bend out of terror. The only threat she can't get rid of is Celestia, but she may depend on Nighmare doing it because it was the elements that truly stopped her and not Celestia. If Cadence keeps going the way she is going, she may be banished by Celestia or imprisoned or banished and imprisoned in the place she was banished! At least she wouldn't be able to mind contol anyone anymore. And by Galea's last comment, she knows what Cadence is going to do. This takes out everyone but Twilight, but there will be no one to teach her what she needs to beat Nightmare Moon. This leaves Nightmare Moon quite easy access to rule Equestria if she can beat Celestia, however, I don't think Celestia will fight back because she knows she has lost. The only hope is, I dare say It, I really never want to say it.... but Equestria Girls may be the only thing left to stop Nightmare. But this theory only truly shows one thing, every alicon is stupid and can be bested by one unicorn who was given the power by said alicorns!
either "she still cared for him"
or "She did still care for him"
7825916
IMO, she's already done several VERY stupid things, starting with "letting her personal feelings distract her from doing her job"