Chapter 7: Love
“So, did you talk to my brother, didya? Didya? Huh? Huh? Huh?” demanded Twilight the next day that I came to foalsit for her. I just grinned my dopey grin I had been wearing for the past few days. I was so happy. So very happy. I think it was infectious, because the little filly seemed excited too as I floated around in a love-struck stupor.
We were in her room on a rainy day that did nothing to spoil my joyful mood. We were playing with her Pretty Pony dolls and at the same time having her practice her levitation and general telekinetic magic.
“Yup. Everything’s good now.” I said, thickly, holding my doll up and brushing her hair, which was strangely interesting in my intoxicated state.
“What did you say to him?”
“Uh…I apologized.” I grinned again, but the little unicorn gave me a dead paned look, dropping her doll which I picked up for her.
“Didya kiss?” she asked, bluntly and I blushed. It wasn’t like I would have told her if I did anyway.
“Nope.”
“What? Why not?!” she cried, vehemently.
“Just because, Twilight.” I told her with conviction, but I couldn’t help but giggle at the end, and she frowned, eyeing me suspiciously as I gave her a sheepish smile.
“You’re no fun.” She mumbled.
“Sorry, we can’t all be like in the movies~.” I sang, floating over her Smarty Pants doll- the knight from the other day- and placing it beside her pony doll with a little show of a transparent heart beside them. Then I burst out laughing, making her raise an eyebrow, but I didn’t care. I had a coltfriend and he was gentle and kind. We were going on our first date in a few days and I couldn’t be happier.
Twilight yanked the Smarty Pants doll back and glared at me.
“Oooh, good grip on your magic.” I applauded and she cheered up.
“So now that everything’s OK, and you are really, really happy for some reason, where should we go for our next adventure?” the filly asked as I tried to calm down, lost in my giggling.
“What?” I asked somewhat more composedly.
“You, me and Shining Armor, we need to go somewhere really awesome this time. And no getting sick this time either.” She commanded, pointing her hoof at me, but since I was still blissful I didn’t take offense to her blunt jab at me and my folly.
“Uh actually we sorta already decided to go out somewhere this weekend.” I said, hesitantly, not sure if I should reveal this information to the protective filly.
“Oooh, where?!” she asked, eagerly, and then I knew I shouldn’t have told her.
“Uh…um…we’re actually going out together…on a…date.” I gingerly said, blushing and pawing at the floor with my hoof.
“A date?” the little unicorn asked, doubtfully.
“Yes, a date.” I murmured. Even her brashness was not going to get to me that day.
“You can’t go on a date with him! He’s my brother!” she shouted.
“Hey, I thought you wanted us to be all lovey-dovey and kiss.” I protested.
“But you can’t go out together without me! I need to come too!” she whined.
“Come on, Twilight, you can’t come with us on our date. It would be weird.” I said, patiently.
Twilight huffed and crossed her hoofs across her chest. “Then you can’t go on a date.” She said, defiantly.
“That’s not your decision, missy.” I replied, wryly, tossing a pillow at her.
The filly flashed me an indignant look and then clammed up, and I didn’t really get anything out of her for the rest of the afternoon. I poked and prodded her with her toys but she stubbornly ignored me. She was one jealous little sister.
“Come on, Twilight, we’ll all go out together another time.” I offered.
Nothing.
But even her jealous little tantrum couldn’t bother me, and by the time the day was over, in my boredom, I had taken all her toys and made them float around her head in a little dance. She certainly had a hard time ignoring that.
~~~~~~~~
When Friday came Twilight wasn’t just mad at me, she was out and out ignoring me. I couldn’t get her to do anything I said, and despite it being a nice day, again she refused to go outside, so we were stuck inside her little bedroom again.
I tried casting showy spells, and flying around her room to get her attention but she called me a stupid princess and I flopped onto her bed, glaring at her. So, fed up with being stuck inside and her bad attitude, I picked up the evasive little filly in my magic and dragged her kicking and screaming all the way to the park where I plopped her in a swing.
“Alright you,” I started in my best stern-sounding voice, keeping her in the seat for the time being, and glad there weren’t many ponies around in the playground. “Your brother is growing up and he needs time to be with other ponies. I’m that pony right now, so you’re going to have to accept that and… Wait. Your. Turn.”
The little unicorn glowered at me, but I just smirked. “Now, go play!” I cried, and making sure she was holding on to the rope, I pushed the swing as far up as I could.
“Whoa!” She squealed, and I laughed. “Get me off this thing!”
“Just pretend you’re flying.” I encouraged.
“You dumb princess!” she cried, angrily, but she wasn’t trying to get off as I pushed her back and forth.
“Come on, Twilight. Stop being a jealous shut-in and have some fun!” I said, ignoring her insult.
“I’ll get you for this.” She growled, and I giggled.
“What are you gonna do? Attack me with your books?” I smirked.
“I’ll um… I’ll…” I gripped the swing and stopped her as she pondered what to do with me. Then, getting to my hind legs I pushed the swing high up over my head, following the momentum to the other side of the playground. It was an underdog- the best swing push move ever.
The filly squealed again, but this time she started laughing too. “Higher!” she shouted and I complied, pushing the swing normally for awhile, and then suddenly switching to an underdog when she least expected it, causing her to burst into giggles.
Seeing her happy again, and actually playing on a swing set made my heart fill with even more joy then it already had, and I came up with an idea to really make this experience stay with her- something that probably only I could do for her.
“OK Twilight, I’m going to ask you to do something and it might seem scary at first, but I promise you it will be OK. You just have to trust me.” I said, gripping the swing to stop it as I talked to her.
“What is it?” she asked, doubtfully.
“Do you trust me?” I pressed.
“You’re a dumb, brother-stealing-weirdo who doesn’t like being a princess….”she started, impudently, her eyes narrowed. “…but I trust you.” She looked back up to me and grinned, and I smiled back at her.
“Alright, what I’m going to do is push you as high as I can, and when I say so, I want you to jump off.” I declared.
The little unicorn’s eyes widened. “WHAT?” she shouted in dismay.
“Do you trust me?” I asked again, seriously.
“Uh… um… but…I’ll get hurt.” She mumbled, nervously.
“No you won’t. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She looked into my eyes, wide and fearful, but nodded, granting me her fragile trust that I would protect her from harm. I knew what I was going to do would be something she would never forget, and it would make her smile.
“OK, wait for me to tell you to jump.” I called as I galloped under her to push the swing into an underdog. Then as it swung back behind me, I spread my wings and launched myself into the air, fluttering in front of the swing set at the approximate height she would be swinging forward to.
“Now, jump!” I called as she swung forward, her eyes meeting mine as she saw me hovering in the air, and she smiled as she realized that she was in no danger, and what I was going to do. I grinned back, encouragingly, and then she jumped from the seat, hurdling through the sky, and squealing as she flailed her hooves around instinctively to find something to hold on to.
Then I caught her. She tumbled into my hooves, as I flew up under her and giggled, joyfully as I cradled her to my chest and flew back to the ground.
“And that, Twilight Sparkle, is what it’s like to really fly.” I told her, as we landed in the playground with her still giggling in my hooves.
“That was awesome!” she exclaimed with pure delight in her once evasive tone.
“I told you.” I smiled.
“It really was like I was flying- and then-and then you caught me and we were flying!” the ecstatic filly stammered out as I set her down, and she began hopping around in her Twilighty way.
“Maybe next time I can take you up to a cloud.” I joked, but her eyes widened, and she stopped hopping.
“Can you do that?”
“Uh…no…not really…” I replied, sheepishly.
“Aw, no fair.” The little unicorn pouted briefly, but recovered, and glanced back up at me. “Wait, you used your wings to fly, but aren’t you trying to hide them so nopony knows you’re a princess?” she asked, with uncharacteristic concern.
I suddenly became aware of some of the mothers and foals watching us in awe, and I shrank down, blushing.
“It’s OK, don’t worry about it.” I assured her. Because really, I hadn’t done anything that any pegasus couldn’t have done. Let them think I was a unicorn or pegasus, or even a princess- I didn’t care. For now I was just fooling around with my contentious little friend, and I’d let anypony know my identity as long as it brought a smile to her face.
I’d do anything for her. For as much as she could be a brat, impassive and even mean sometimes, I loved her. Just like I thought I loved her brother. And I didn’t want to lose her to this silly jealous spat. So I hoped with all my heart that she could forgive both myself and Shining Armor and just be happy for us.
Twilight mulled over what I said, looking at me skeptically but then she seemed to disregard it, and shouted, “Do it again, do it again!”
I put my hoof to my chin and pretended to think her request over. “Hmm… maybe… if…. you quit being a jealous little sister.” I said, smiling, mischievously.
“Ok, Ok, I won’t be jealous.” She grumbled, obediently.
I fluttered my wings in front of her, enticingly. “Do you promise?”
“Yes, I promise! Let’s go!” she cried, galloping back over to the swings and I giggled as I chased after her.
It looked like that once again I had reached her.
~~~~~~~~~~~
And so, I managed to get Twilight to accept the fact that I was going out with Shining Armour, and then the day came. The day that I had waited for in joyful anticipation all week. It was our first date. My first date. And I felt like there was a flock of butterflies in my stomach.
I had barely slept the night before because I was so nervous and excited, and I awoke with my aunt Celestia as she raised the sun. Seeing me awake and pacing the corridors she took me to her quarters and had me sit at her vanity mirror, where she ran her beautiful crystal brush through my mane.
“My little niece going on her first date…” she cooed, wistfully, brushing out my tangled curls, and making me feel better as I sat on her intricately carved chair, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
“Is it supposed to be this scary?” I gulped.
“You’re just having first date jitters. Its normal.” She smiled.
“Yeah, but how do I act? What should I wear? Will he kiss me?” I asked, anxiously.
“Just be yourself, Cadance. That’s why this colt likes you, not for any other pony you could be.” She gave me a knowing look, and I blushed, realizing what she was referring to.
“You know I’ve been pretending to be a regular unicorn?” I asked, guiltily.
“I may have heard something of the sort.”
“I-I wasn’t trying to lie to anypony, I just wanted to… I just…” I tried to explain, but felt silly telling my regal aunt who had been a princess alone for hundreds of years that I was ashamed of my duty. Who was I to complain?
“I won’t say I condone what you’re doing, but I’m not going to order you to stop. This is your decision, and you’re mature enough to make the right one.” She spoke, seriously, causing my heart to drop back down from my throat, as I realized I wasn’t in trouble, and she wasn’t going to make me tell Shining Armor who I was. “But I hope this doesn’t lead to either you or Shining Armor getting hurt, as all withholding of the truth eventually does.” She added, sighing as she twisted two pieces of my mane with her magic and tied it behind my head in a braid, leaving the rest of my hair to flow down my shoulders.
I liked it. It was a princess-like hairstyle, but still playful and sweet. She floated over a pretty barrette of an indigo heart that matched my cutie-mark and clipped it in the braid, then showed me the reflection of the mane style in a small mirror that she held up to the back of my head with her magic.
“There, how do you like it?” she asked, uncertainly.
“I love it! Thank you!” I cried, happily.
She smiled, although I still felt her concern for me. I knew what I was doing was worrying her, but I would tell him the truth soon. Maybe even that day. She had given me the freedom to make that decision for myself, and I would. Eventually.
“This probably should have been something your mother would help you with. I hope you’re not disappointed to have your old aunt doing it instead.” She said, somewhat insecurely, and I felt touched by her concern for me. I saw her more as a regular pony now, then as my always gentle but somewhat difficult to approach royal aunt Celestia, princess of the sun, and ruler of the land.
“Did you let her know about your date?” she continued.
“Oh, yes, I wrote to her and she’s really excited for me.” I told her, cheerfully, but quickly added, “I do miss her, but I’m glad to have you to share my special day too. Thank you, Aunt Celestia.” I nuzzled up to her neck, smiling blissfully again, my confidence steadily being restored.
She returned the embrace and then added, “I would suggest you wore some of your regal jewellery, but since you’re so adamant on keeping your secret, your cream coloured skirt would be lovely and will hide your wings, you silly filly.” She winked at me, playfully, and I giggled.
“Oooh, that would look good with the embroidery to match this pretty barrette. Thanks!” Anxious to start trying on outfits, I scrambled out of the chair and started to head back to my room.
“Have a good time.” Aunt Celestia waved.
“Thanks again, auntie!” I called as I galloped off to my room to get dressed. Even if I was early- about five hours early- I was ready for this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wasn’t late this time, but Shining Armor was already there waiting for me when I arrived at the fountain of the alicorn sisters. My nervousness was back with a vengeance as I saw the handsome unicorn colt standing by the fountain, waving to me as he saw my approach. I swallowed hard and gathered my courage before trotting over to him with a smile on my face.
“Hello!” I said, enthusiastically.
“Hi, Cadance.” The always much more confidant colt smiled at me. He had brushed out his usually matted, electric blue mane, but otherwise he looked the same as always, making me blush the same as always.
“Um, what’s up?” I asked, lamely.
“Oh nothing, I just got kicked out of my house today by a very excited little filly who didn’t want me to be late.” He grinned, and my mouth hung open to hear that Twilight was being encouraging again. That crazy, manipulative little filly.
“I don’t know if I believe that.” I teased. His jokes always gave me more courage, so I held on to them like a life preserver.
“She is a strange little unicorn.” He rolled his eyes, good naturedly, and I smiled, which brought out his own blush.
“You look really nice today.” He added, his confidence seeming to waver as he offered his compliment, and I felt my checks burn in my blush. “Your mane looks really pretty down…”
I looked down, bashfully. “T-thank you.” I stammered out, and mentally thanked my aunt for helping me with it.
“So, um… what should we do?” I asked to try to give us both something to focus on that didn’t freak us out.
The colt perked up. “Oh, uh, I thought we could maybe see a movie if you want.” He offered.
“Yeah, that would be great.” I said, cheerfully, because really, I didn’t get to go to movie theaters often. Just boring, too long operas, or stage shows with my parents and the rest of the nobility in Roam.
“I heard that Bridle Wars is funny, do you want to see that?” he suggested, somewhat reluctantly. He was such a gentle-colt- suggesting a filly-flick- and I agreed eagerly.
“I think there’s a matinee playing in a half hour. Let’s go get tickets before its sold out.” He said, and we headed off to the Canterlot theater, trotting together, two young unicorns on their first date.
~~~~~~~~~
“Are mares really like that?” A thoroughly spooked Shining Armor asked, anxiously, as we sat at the Pudding Café together after the movie. I giggled.
The movie was about two young mares who had been best friends since childhood, and had always planned their weddings together. When they are both engaged at the same time, they schedule their wedding ceremony at an expensive and beautiful venue with a renowned wedding planner, but due to a clerical error their weddings fall on the same day and cannot be moved so they start to try to sabotage each other’s special day. I thought it was hilarious what they did to each other, and the movie had a happy and touching ending where they remembered their treasured friendship due to an intervention by one of their fiancés. But poor Shining Armor seemed freaked out by the viciousness of the two mares, who had quite the cat fight during their wedding.
“It’s just a movie, silly. But we mares do want to keep our weddings perfect.” I told him.
“Would you dye your friend’s coat orange? Or mane blue?” he asked, wryly, describing one of the ways the mares had sabotaged each other’s looks.
“Hey, her mane looked like yours, is that so bad?” I quipped. “My mane is blue! Its bluuueeee!” I exclaimed, quoting my favourite scene from the movie and making him laugh.
“You’re good at that.”
I grinned. “That was my favourite part.”
“Of course it was.” He chuckled. “So, what is this dessert you want me to try?”
I had told him we should visit the Pudding Café after lunch so he could try their crème brûlée, and we found ourselves at the little sweet shop in the late afternoon. I was surprised he hadn’t tried the specialty dish before, although he had come to the store to buy candy for his sister.
“It’s a special type of pudding. You’ll like it, trust me.” And as if we had summoned her Mrs. Pudding appeared with a tray of two of the creamy desserts.
“Why, if it isn’t Cadance? How are you, my dear?” The confectioner greeted, pleasantly. “And with a colt? Who is this fine young stallion you have caught?” I sank down in my chair, embarrassed by Mrs. Pudding’s good natured nosiness.
Fortunately, Shining Armor rescued me. “My name is Shining Armor, ma’am. Cadance said your specialty pudding is delicious and brought me here to try it.” He said, politely.
Mrs. Pudding beamed. “Yes, I hope you enjoy it.”
Shining Armor graciously took a spoonful of the dessert and smiled when it reached his mouth. “Hey, this is really good!” he exclaimed.
“What’d I tell you?” I grinned, lifting my own spoonful to my mouth.
“My husband creates only the best for young love. Enjoy your dessert, Shining Armor; Cadance.” The baker smiled, before taking the tray and trotting back into the store.
I turned to the colt and smiled, sheepishly, still embarrassed by the exchange. He smirked.
“I think you secretly work for them and are promoting their pudding to me.” he joked.
“Hey, it’s good isn’t it? I just come here a lot.” I laughed. “Speaking of work…” I began, steering the conversation elsewhere so I could recover. “What’s it like trying to lead all those crazy colts?”
Shining Armor rolled his eyes. “A pain in the flank. They don’t listen unless I resort to shouting at them like I did the day we met, and they have no concept of honour or chivalry, they just want to swing around a sword.”
“But then again, that’s the same with some of the colts at the academy, isn’t it?” I said, wryly, glad to find a way to poke fun at the situation that had almost driven us apart.
“Oh don’t get me started.” He replied, with more conviction then I expected, making me giggle again. “But I imagine it’s just as challenging for you with my crazy little sister.” He added.
This time it was my turn to roll my eyes. “She can be difficult. Especially lately, since she’s mad at me. Jealous, I think.” I quipped.
The unicorn colt sighed. “I don’t know what she’s going to do when I leave home in a few years. She’s really quite possessive.”
“Tell me about it.” I laughed, and so did he.
“As long as she gets over it by our wedding day, it should be fine.” He joked, but all I heard was ‘our wedding day’ and I choked on my pudding. “Our…” cough, cough. “…wedding?” I managed to choke out.
“Whoa, don’t freak out, it was just a joke. Are you OK?” he asked, concernedly, floating over a glass of water which I gulped down, trying not to hack and sputter.
After a minute, where I found I could swallow again, I composed myself and grinned sheepishly at him. “I-I’m sorry. I was just taken by surprise.”
“You mares and your weddings.” Shining Armor mumbled, playfully, and then he glanced up at the sky, where the sun hung low, entering into evening and sunset. “Are you up for some mountain climbing? There’s something I want to show you.” He asked.
My heart stuttered a bit to think I would be alone on a mountain top with him, but to cover up my nervousness and previous blunder I said coyly, “I may faint in the heat, and choke on pudding, but I can handle climbing a mountain.”
I could also fly up it; but he didn’t have to know that.
~~~~
We walked through the castle town of Canterlot toward the drawbridge that lead out to the surrounding mountainside and cliff tops. I felt a little nervous leaving the city, which I hadn’t done before, but the sight I saw when we crossed through the bridge to the other side, took all my fears away, along with my breath.
From the top of the cliff where the city exit lead to a grassy knoll, with a stone pathway, was a magnificent view of endless hills and valleys that seemed to stretch all the way across Equestria. The castle was fully visible to the west, jutting out of the mountain like a beautiful gold capped bluff. I knew from being inside it that the palace was perched out along the mountainside, but I had no idea just how precarious it stood until I saw it from this view. It was also beautiful. The surrounding mountains of Canterlot with the endless waterfalls and green hills and trees, was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen.
Shining Armor lead me around the river and to the base of the mountain where there was a path that stretched out along the cliffs and through the waterfall. It seemed to zigzag to the very top, while tunnelling inside of the rock and behind the path of the stream of water that fell from the top of the mountain. It didn’t look as strenuous a climb as I had originally thought, and I was eager to begin.
As I had thought, the path went right through the waterfall, making it seem as if we were inside it, and cast the view of the castle and sky in a hazy mist that slightly wetted our coats. I playfully hid behind my coltfriend as the mist spayed at us, but he gallantly tried to shield me anyway, leaving him with a wet mane that had reverted back to its usual messiness, and I giggled.
By the time we reached the top the sun was starting to set, and I was winded. For as much as I hated to admit it, I was weak with how I had always been cooped up in the castle in my home. I had never climbed a mountain, and my hooves ached as I struggled to catch my breath. Shining Armor reached out a hoof to me and I graciously took it as I made my way over the last rocky hurdle.
“Are you alright?” he asked me, concernedly.
“I’m fine.” I assured him, stepping back on to the ground where some grass now scattered among the rocks.
Blinking in the brightness of the low and bright sunlight, I followed the colt to the very edge of the cliff where I was amazed to see that we were almost parallel with the tallest tips of the castle towers. I had never imagined we had climbed that high, and if I had thought I could see all of Equestria from the base of the mountain, it was nothing compared to the view from the top of the bluff.
The land stretched out below me like a tapestry of art, the green hills blending in perfectly with indigo lakes and rivers, pale gold fields and fading grays and purples of more mountains in the distance.
“Let’s take a rest, it’s almost time.” Shining Armor said, courteously, but his voice had a hint of mysteriousness to it that intrigued me. There was a pool of water nearby where I thirstily took a drink and then settled in a patch of grass beside him.
“Aren’t we a little high up to see the sunset?” I asked, curiously, noticing the sun, although bright, was far out to the west, barely visible in the distance. The sky was already turning magenta and orange, the dark blue of the night entering from the top.
“Maybe, but that’s not why we’re here.” He replied. “But you should still look out that way.”
I gave him a confused glance, but obediently looked out at the steadily declining glow.
And then I saw it. A slender winged figure flying into the sunset that was hard to make out against the glare, but I knew right away it was my aunt Celestia. I knew that she was the one to set the sun and raise the moon, but I had never actually seen her do it, besides at the summer sun festival, where she basically just put on a show of raising the sun in front of a monument.
“Is that the princess?” I asked, just to not seem too observant and knowing to him.
He smiled. “Yup. She flies out there every night since I started coming here. It’s usually after the sunset, so I don’t think she does it to set the sun, but just to raise the moon, because she disappears after that.”
I knew my aunt had a solemn connection with the moon. She was mistress of the sun, but she also had responsibility over the moon, and whenever I mentioned it to her she changed the subject. But I could sense her deep sadness and regret too, and I always wondered what the moon meant to her, and if she could feel what I felt from it.
“Wow, its beautiful…” I said, fervidly, my heart full with the emotions I could remember from looking at that lonely creature far out in the sky.
The last of the sunlight disappeared behind the mountains then, and the winged figure of my aunt flew up into the clouds, followed slowly by the shining, pale whiteness of the moon. When she had coaxed it to its zenith, her form became a shadow against the orb, complimenting the head of the unicorn shadow that seemed to watch her.
“I come up here when things get stressful at home and school, and around this time I always see her fly out there. I don’t think many ponies come up here, because I’m usually alone, and I doubt she knows that anypony can see her. I’m pretty sure the princess doesn’t have to fly up like that to raise the sun or moon either, but she always does.” Shining Armor said, somewhat solemnly, echoing my own thoughts. I knew she didn’t have to do that to raise the sun or moon, and there was more to the ritual then either of us understood.
“I really admire Princess Celestia, you know? She does so much good in our world, and she is kind and fair to all her subjects. She raises the sun and moon and has kept peace for a thousand years. How many kingdoms can say that?” the young knight in training mused, and I smiled, touched by his confession.
“Have you ever met her?” I asked.
“Yes. She presides over the enrollment ceremonies at the royal guard training academy. She came to meet each new student.” He replied, bashfully. “I met her as a foal too, with my parents being part of the royal court. I guess you see her all the time being a student of hers and living at the palace.”
“Well… uh… she’s really busy, so I only see her in class, but you’re right, she is a good and kind pony.” I said, wanting to agree with his praise of my aunt, but not willing to give away my relationship with her.
“That’s why I want to be a royal guard. I want to protect her, and any other pony who needs protecting. So that we can always have a country of peace.”
His pure hearted earnestness made my heart swell with pride and tenderness, and I found myself leaning against his soft white coat.
Blushing, the colt looked down at me with concern. “Are you tired?” he asked.
“A little…” I murmured, but mostly I was just extremely moved and overwhelmed with my own emotions.
“Do you want to get going?”
“No. Let’s just stay like this for awhile.” I whispered, nuzzling closer to him, and gazing out at the now bright and full moon. He seemed a little tense, but as I lay my head on him he relaxed against me and sighed.
“I think your dream is really noble, and I know you’ll be the greatest royal guard ever.” I said, seriously, and my heart heavy with emotion, I sat up and kissed him gently on the cheek.
He sat straight up, seeming surprised, his muzzle pink in a blush. I smiled, lovingly at the kind and gallant colt, and lay back down against his neck, and we watched the stars twinkle together.
~~~~~~~~
It was late when we got back.
Because it was dark, and I seemed to have hurt my hoof a bit, my colt in shining armor teleported us back to his most familiar location- outside his house. I couldn’t believe he could teleport ponies, albeit two of us, and such a long distance. He said it was one of the first things they learn at the training academy as an emergency procedure. It wasn’t easy, but he had had a lot of practice teleporting bigger ponies then me for much longer distances and it wasn’t a problem.
We stood outside Shining Armor’s house, facing the side where Twilight’s room was. The windows were open in the warm summer night breeze, and although it was well past 9 pm, her light was on and I could hear raised voices coming from inside the lower floor. It sounded like their parents were having some sort of heated argument. The air was thick with tension and I could feel the negative emotions even without being in the same room as the two advisers.
Shining Armor frowned, and I bent my ears back, not wanting to face an argument with my emotions already mixed up.
“He got into a fight last weekend. I had to be told by some of those snooty Canterlot gossips. This wouldn’t have happened if he had gone to Princess Celestia’s school like I wanted.” Mr. Nightlight’s angry voice drifted out through the window to us.
“We’ve been over this already, and besides, he was protecting a filly. You can’t judge him on something those gossips say anyway.” Mrs. Twilight Velvet defended, her voice high and irritable.
“Ugh, not this again.” Shining Armor muttered, and I glanced at him, questioningly.
“What’s wrong? Is that your parents arguing?” I asked.
Instead of answering me he used his telekinesis to throw a rock at Twilight’s window, and despite the late hour the filly came up to it and groggily looked down at us.
“Twily, what’s going on?” Shining Armor called, grimly.
“Ugh, mom and dad are fighting again. You made them mad.” She muttered, grumpily. Then she blinked when she noticed me. “Hey Cadance! You can stop them!”
I blushed, and backed up a bit as both of them turned to me. “I-I don’t think I can do anything.” I stammered.
“Yes you can! I saw you make those two unicorn bakers stop fighting and go all lovey dovey. You said you could do it for my parents too!” she protested.
“What is she talking about, Cadance?” the elder brother asked me, suspiciously. His light and happy mood had completely shattered and I felt bad, and didn’t want to intrude.
When I didn’t answer, Twilight did for me. “She can make ponies fall in love again. If they’re fighting like mommy and daddy are, she can make them stop. It’s her special talent.”
Thank you, Twilight.
“Really? You can do that?” Shining Armor asked me, his tone softer.
“Um…” I was scared to cast my spell. I didn’t want to use it on his parents. They were my employers, my aunt’s royal advisers. I couldn’t just toy with them like that. Besides, I couldn’t hear exactly what was going on, and I had nothing to make my usual judgement on. Until, that is, my dear friend told me.
“I don’t see why he has to join the royal guard while he has the grades and talent to make a fine scholar like us. I don’t want my son part of those boorish young colts.” Mr. Nightlight muttered, indignantly.
“It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.” The colt bent his head, shamefully, and my heart ached for him. I could see what was happening now. He didn’t deserve it.
“My parents don’t want me to be in the royal guard. My father wants me to be a scholar like he is, and my mother is scared I’ll be hurt. They’ve started arguing all the time since I joined, and it’s mostly Twilight who has to hear them.” He paused, his noble heart caring for the wellbeing of his little sister above his own, and he looked up at me. My heart broke to see and feel the pain in his eyes. “I don’t want to give up my dream… but I don’t know what to do.” He sighed, sadly.
All at once I knew what to do. I had never felt so much resolve to use my spell as I did at that minute. But I knew it wouldn’t fix it everything. I had to let him know that it was up to him to fix this wound between him and his parents; all I could do was give it a bandaid.
“Shining Armor, I will use my spell to stop this argument, but you need to talk to your parents. I can’t fix this for you, but I can help you face it.” I started, solemnly, charging up my horn in preparation to cast my magic. “Tell them what you told me. Tell them that you want to protect ponies, that you protected me. Then they’ll understand your beautiful dream. You can do it, I believe in you.” I smiled, tenderly, and then braced myself for the onslaught of the two parents’ uncompromising concern for their foals emotion to stream into me.
I staggered a bit under the intense weight of it, and my coltfriend watched me anxiously, his eyes wide. I was too close to these ponies to really contemplate the memories I saw from their parents. That was why I didn’t want to cast the spell initially. But as I saw them, and the spell moved to completion, I knew that my special talent could really help ponies; ponies I cared about, and it was truly a gift.
We couldn’t see what was going on inside the thatch roof house, but I could hear the once angry voices calm down from the open window.
“Yay! You did it!” Twilight cheered, which didn’t seem like the best thing to do now that the house was quiet, but I figured Mr. and Mrs. Light would be enjoying their memory and not too aware of a squealing filly.
“That was… amazing.” Shining Armor stammered. He seemed a little shocked by it all, so I nuzzled up to him to show my encouragement. I could hear his heart pounding against his chest, and I felt mine closely follow it.
“Thank you, Cadance.” He said, emotionally, and I smiled up at him. From his higher stature, the colt moved his neck to look down at me, a blush apparent along his cheeks, our eyes met and then….
“Kiss! Kiss!” Twilight shouted from her perch at the window.
We both turned to her. “Go to sleep, Twilight!”
“Aw, nuts.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
end
A/N
The scenes with Celestia and Cadance are very important for the second half of this story, especially this one. Please don’t think I’m just trying to add words to the document. You’ll see what they mean. And no, I’m not telling you the memories Cadance saw from Twilight and Shiny’s parents. ;)
Wanna see the movie they saw on their date, including the ‘blue mane’ scene? It’s 'Bride Wars' I chose it for its comedy (I love that scene) the parallels with the Canterlot Royal Wedding and how easy it was to ponify. It can also freak any guy out. Haha.
This is the longest chapter! Yay! I have a drawing for this chapter too, but I thought I’d get the new chapter up first so you don’t have to wait for me to scan and colour the stupid thing.
I do not have the next chapter properly planned yet so it might take awhile, but I plan for it to be the end of part 1, then I will probably write Finding Harmony again before going onto part 2.
Enjoy, and as always thanks for reading!
Stats
Page generated in 0.025 seconds
Total duration
896 users online
1,331,685 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Somehow I got to this chapter before my favorites were updated.
Another good chapter. And as for the ending...
i2.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/007/582/tumblr_lmputme3co1qa6q7k_large.png
And before I forget...
Primaris!
703802
Secundus!
She should probably reveal her wings soon, and her heritage. Relationships are built on trust and who am I kidding, don't screw it up just hide them forever.
703802
Now we know who Spike got the idea for the dolls from!
Twilight Sparkle is, "The Mood Killer" Great chapter yet again.
Great chapter, as always! Twilight is so cute.
And that "Kiss! Kiss!"-line was hilarious.
I've seen Bride Wars...
Funniest wedding movie I've ever seen... still scared me a bit though
Cadence is lucky Twilight didn't go all hulk on her.
“Come on, Twilight, you can’t come with us on our date. It would be weird.” I said, patiently.
Twilight huffed and crossed her hoofs across her chest. “Then you can’t go on a date.” She said, defiantly.
“That’s not your decision, missy.” I replied, wryly, tossing a pillow at her.
"You make Twilight angry! I say you no go on date without me!" the enraged filly yelled.
I calmly began to walk away when I heard a loud noise coming from behind me. "Twilight?"
"Twilight mad!" yelled the filly as she began to float and glow.
"Twilight settle down!" I sternly scolded her.
"Twilight show you how to fly!" she yelled.
"What?' I said confused.
Suddenly I was swept up in a lavender aura which was far more powerful than anyone could have expected from a filly and thrown like ragdoll out of the house through the roof. Being stuck in some restriction spell my wings clung to my side as I flew through the air over Canterlot crashing through the castle roof and landing on Aunt Celestia's bed.
"Cadence? What is the meaning of this? Arn't you supposed to be watching Twilight?" Celestia questioned with a puzzled expression.
"She kind of threw me..... Aunt Celestia." I replied receiving a laugh from Celestia.
"Wow, she's really getting better. When she threw Prince Blueblood, he only made it to the Royal Garden." Celestia replied while a book floated out from her bookcase.
"Aunt, what is that?" I asked still baffled by her response.
"It's my chart on her magical progress; now I need you to describe everything including trajectory and minor sub-spells...." Celestia replied as she took a quill from her desk and floated a pair of reading glasses onto her nose.
I knew now that this was going to be a long night.
Dead paned? DEAD PANED?! I don't want to live on this planet anymore...
Jkjk! I kid the grammatical errors!
This was awesome! I love how when you tell this story, you stay in Cadence's character so well!
Can't wait for more!
Twilight Sparkle: Moment Killer.
704125
10/10
Careful now. All of this winning MIGHT make your ego grow... Watch it!
D'awwww, that was so adaroable it made fluttershy cry
but in this case its a good thing
they have to actually kiss soon, or she has to reveal her true idenity or im gonna lose it!!
but in all seriousness good job on another great chapter!
704125 i seconed 704928's opinion
704125 That was hilarious
705281 They DID kiss. Cadance did anyway. That scene with the parents was going to be different and actually have a kiss... but I like how it turned out. Twilight is so silly
705254 My ego won't grown til I get on EQdaily. Then I might go crazy. But... I have to submit it first
:derpy: DERP
I really am loving this fic. All kinds of good stuff. But don't take a break!! NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I excepted Cadence to fall down the mountain and reveal her wings to save herself :(
713615 next chapter she'll reveal them I think. I mean, I know how she does... but I'm not sure if I'll try to put more into the next chapter before it happens. But its getting closer :)
Another great chapter. Glad to read something to perk my inspiration after a few demeaning comments on my story update. Hoping to see more!
Can't wait for next chapter this fic has definitely climbed to one of my favorites so far!
This is one of the sweetest love stories of all time! And it's even cooler because we know they end up with a happily ever after! Twilight is just adorable, and I think that SA and Cadance are very in character. I can't wait to read more.
This is lovely, interesting to see the two fighting. Mainly because concern for their young colt. Arguing because of concern they share... a bit odd that.
Nice. In particular, I loved the whole scene with them watching Celestia. Knowing the answer to the 'mystery of the sorrowful moon' gave it an interesting perspective.
Great ending. Totally looking forward to reading more
704125
"Auntie its not creepy in the slightest that you're closely and obsessively tracking the magical progression of six random seven year old fillies. You really need to find a hobby. A normal hobby, not... whatever this is. Or maybe you should find a special somepony or something. Just stop stalking preschoolers."
Yep^^ I deffinatly love filly Twilight^^ lol
It's true, you do know beauty!
Should be "hurTling"
This refers to someone being a friend with whom you may share secrets, say, not an adjective like "confidEnt" is.
May have already addressed this, but "than" is the more appropriate spelling for this case.
Again, I cannot think how I didn't notice these the first time. And again, I mean no offence.
My favourite chapter so far. Very strong descriptives. Very keen to see what memories cadence saw.
Great story so far. I was reading it all day. And I'm not done yet but I just wanted to say, about 'Bride Wars'... Challenge accepted. I'm a staight guy and you'd be suprised at how many chick-flicks I've seen. No, I don't have a girlfriend... Yet. Never had one before. Really nervous to ask this one girl.
Woah! Went on a tangent there. Sorry. So after I finish your story, I'm taking your challenge! Later!
Well done, Twilight. For being such a shut in, you sure do blab quite a bit!