A Heavy Crown

by Fullmetal Pony

Chapter 3

A cool breeze blew through the Canterlot streets up to one of the hospital’s many fire exits, ruffling Cadenza’s swaddling. She shivered and curled herself up as much as she could. Aria pulled her closer to her chest, using her hooves as a second barrier against the wind. Behind them, Willow pushed Aria’s wheelchair out of the hospital’s shadow and into the morning light.

Mystic waited a few feet ahead of them. Three guards flanked his sides, all four of their faces solid like stone. At their backs was a chariot made of expertly crafted wood that looked like it had just been shaved and fashioned into its current shape. It glowed like gold, yet it lacked the metallic luster of Celestia’s personal transport, as well as any royal insignia. A well-funded pony could probably afford to rent it for a day or two.

Mystic met Aria and Willow halfway to the chariot and graced them with a bow. Willow returned it while Aria gave him a nod, being careful to not shift Cadenza around too much. Her eyes went up to the glistening vessel and she scrunched her face at it. The guards exchanged looks while she scrutinized it from the reins to the wheels.

“This doesn’t look very secret,” she said.

“It will be.” Mystic tapped a hoof to his horn. “We need to get the three of you secure first though. Please, allow us to help you in.”

Willow nodded and pushed the wheelchair forward with Mystic at his side. He kept his head down towards the nape of Aria’s neck, but stole glances at Mystic. In place of a doctor’s coat, a flowing cloak a shade darker than his fur was draped over him, covering most of his body, save for his hooves. His mane was now combed back and pulled into a ponytail, revealing a forehead riddled with premature wrinkles. His eyes were the same as yesterday though: baggy and sunken, albeit not as bloodshot.

Something about the look sparked something at the back of Willow’s mind, but before he could ask about it, they reached the chariot. A familiar green pony stepped forward, looking far more natural in armor than in nurse’s scrubs. Willow tried not to stare too long at the countless scars running across his back, instead attempting to focus on the lone mark that marred the other guard’s yellow wings. When the two of them were close enough to lay hooves on Aria’s wheelchair, they looked directly at Mystic before bowing their heads.

Mystic pointed at the smaller of the pegasi, then the larger one, and finally the lone unicorn that remained at the foot of the chariot. “Sergeant Cumulus, Major Gale, and Lieutenant Shine will be providing assistance today.”

Gale raised up his head, but his height forced him to look down at Willow and Aria. “Would you like help getting in?”

“Yes,” Aria said, avoiding Gale’s hardened stare while she brought Cadenza closer to her chest.

She took a took a deep breath as the pegasi reached out and grabbed her. Feeling their strong grip, she gulped and lightly swayed Cadenza back and forth as they lifted both of them up to the chariot’s seating. Once they were in, she let out a deep sigh and placed Cadenza atop her lap, not noticing Cumulus’s eyes linger on the foal for a brief moment before he joined Gale back on the ground.

While all this was going on, Shine broke off and trotted over to the back of the chariot. Unlike the pegasi who kept their eyes on Aria and Cadenza, he continually glanced up at his horn until he was aligned a few feet away from the chariot. At the same time, Mystic moved to its head in front of the harnesses so that he and Shine formed a straight line with the chariot in the middle.

Atop the chariot, Aria shifted around, the plush seating bending around her like clouds. Bits of it glistened from where her damp coat had touched it. Her hold on Cadenza remained strong as she watched Mystic and the guards assume their positions. Cadenza cooed and she dropped her eyes down and brushed at her tiny mane while bending her head close.

“It’ll be okay, Cadenza,” she whispered. “The Princess will make sure everything is okay.”

Down below, Willow moved to grab the small plastic bag filled with various supplies from the hospital, but Cumulus got to it first, quickly loading it onto the seat next to Aria. Giving him a sheepish grin, Willow trotted over and climbed into the chariot with Cumulus and Gale floating at his sides. When he was fully inside, he quickly but quietly made his way over to Aria, who was still brushing Cadenza’s mane.

“Everything okay?” he asked. “You’re sweating a little.”

“It is our first time going out with Cadenza.” Aria looked up and smiled at him. “I just want to make sure she’s nice and calm. I didn’t think she’d be going on a ride with us so soon.”

While Aria and Willow talked, Cumulus and Gale silently backed away and moved to the front of the vehicle, strapping themselves to the harnesses. Ahead of them, Mystic scanned the streets while the pegasi lifted their heads up to the sky. A glance back revealed that Shine was looking in the squadron's blind spots, his horn very faintly glowing. After a moment, Gale and Cumulus stared over at Mystic, who gave them a nod before turning his head up to Aria and Willow.

“We’re going to move now,” he said, aura slowly enveloping his horn. “If you are uncomfortable at any time, alert one of us.”

Cadenza let out a gurgle. Aria gave her a small belly rub that made her smile in her sleep while Willow sat at her side with his hooves resting on his stomach.

“Let’s get going,” she said, keeping her eyes on Cadenza. “I don’t want her outside for long.”

“She won’t be,” Mystic replied.

He spun around and raised up a hoof, bringing it down in one swift movement. Gale and Cumulus tightened their reins and together took one step forward. The glow around Mystic’s horn flared up, summoning a wide shimmering sphere around the chariot. Outside of the spell, the world blurred as if it had turned into an oil painting. A few pigeons scattered around the fire exit flew away from the bubble, wings silently flapping as they let out mute coos.

“My stars.” Aria’s hold on Cadenza tightened a bit and her eyes widened. “I didn’t know you could make an anechoic spell of this size.”

“A what?” Willow asked.

“A sound silencer,” Aria explained. “Professors would use it on tests back in school. I never thought it could be used like this though.”

“The Guard employs a variety of spells before the general population knows about them,” Mystic said, keeping his body rigid and his sight forward while directing the chariot down the street. “You would be surprised how much magic comes from their research and development.”

The chariot sped along, rolling down one of Canterlot’s larger streets as the city woke up. Outside the bubble, lights turned on in stores, ponies shuffled out to work, and lines amassed in front of bakeries and coffee shops. Yet, not a single head turned in their direction.

“They can’t see us either,” Willow gasped, watching a pair of ponies edge around the sphere.

“A three layered spell of sight, sound, and mind,” Mystic explained. “It’s an essential operation for whenever the Princess or other high-ranking officials wish to travel in privacy. Nopony hears, sees, or gets close to you in here. You’re not having any issues with it, are you?”

“No, no. It’s just…” Willow paused and glanced down at Cadenza. Her eyes were shut and her head bobbed along to the jostling of the chariot. “It’s a bit overwhelming.”

“I agree.” Aria’s eyes narrowed. “A spell matrix of that kind isn’t possible for an average unicorn, even if the guard behind us is stabilizing the layering.”

“Very perceptive,” Mystic complemented, still keeping his head forward. “We normally have five of the Unicorn Corps performing this, but I wanted as little presence today as possible.”

“That…” Willow’s eyes widened. “Only one pony can wield magic like that.”

“I never gave you my name.” Mystic glanced back for the first time. “Forgive me, I will give you a proper introduction once you are secure and settled into the castle.”

“Mystic Rune,” Willow muttered sinking into the chariot’s plush seats.

He and Aria were silent for a long time after that. Canterlot moved past them, more and more stores opening up the further they traveled along the road. The shops grew in size and splendor, going from brick and wood constructions to larger buildings erected with marble pillars, elaborate signs, and other additions that spoke of extravagance. Gates appeared that led away to clusters of expansive mansions that rose up even higher than the shops, family crests proudly emblazoned on all of them.

Around this point, Cadenza stirred from her slumber and let out a cry. Aria gave her a pat on the back, but her wailing only grew louder. The guards looked back at them and slowed their trot. A harsh stomp from Mystic that echoed throughout the bubble brought their focus back to the road and they continued on while Cadenza bawled.

Aria produced a bottle of milk from the hospital bag and lifted it to Cadenza’s lips. The foal’s cries died down and her eyes locked onto the rubber tip. With a tiny coo, she brought her mouth around it and suckled some of the milk. Cumulus let out a held sigh and slackened his reins enough to draw a harsh snort from Gale. With a tint of red on his face, he tightened his reins and got back into step.

The nobles’ vast estates soon gave way, their end marked by towering hedges that flanked the sides of the road. Past the sculpted shrubbery was a grand field of flowers that stretched to the far off mountains beyond Canterlot, rippling like a prismatic ocean whenever a breeze glided through it. Titanic cedar trees rose up here and there in the colorful sea, guardians of the tiny plants below.

All of the botanical splendor rested in the castle’s great shadow, which reached all the way down to the nobles’ estates. Squads of pegasi circled around its spiraling towers that seemed to hold the morning sun in their golden grasp. Royal purple adorned the spires as well, making them look as if they cooled the closer they got to the ground. Dozens of unicorns and earth ponies marched across walkways that connected them together, looking like glittering yellow ants in their armor. Above everything else, even the pegasi, were numerous flags emblazoned with two alicorns flying around a sun and moon, and a sculpted sun that sat atop the centermost tower, smaller than its true form, but radiant nonetheless.

The only thing to dwarf the castle was the mountain that stood adjacent to it with a peak that soared into the sky, its snow-covered tip blending into the clouds. From atop its hidden apex, a great waterfall poured down the rocks, sending out a spray of rainbow mist. Cascading into a wide moat, the water split in two directions: into the castle and down the cliff upon which the royal house sat. A single bridge spanned across the rapids, thick iron chains connecting it back to the white walls.

A mixed platoon of guards stood on the townside end of the bridge, waiting along the sides of the road like statues. Approaching them, Mystic exhaled deeply and undid the spell, the magical bubble slowly peeling away and dispersing into the wind. The guards all turned their heads to the now-visible chariot, went to attention, and saluted it as it reached the foot of the castle.

The bridge’s wood lightly creaked under the chariot’s wheels. Cadenza gave a gurgle having finished her bottle and struggled to burp. Aria tucked her across a shoulder and patted her on the back until she belched. As she burped Cadenza, she glanced up at the walls that rose up above her, so close now that she could see the flawless stones they were made of. Each one was the size of a pony and was stacked so close to the others that she had to squint so see the divide. Willow peered upwards at the ramparts and walkways where the stones ended, a shiver running through him under the glare of stone phoenixes and other winged beasts that dotted the walls.

The chariot passed through an entrance arch large enough to let a full sized dragon through and rolled into the main courtyard. A tiny stream flowed through it, passing by plants the most vibrant shades of greens and temporarily disappearing under stylistically curved bridges that led to an outstretched strip of land, the water serving as a secondary moat more focused on scenery than defense. A grand fountain stood in the center of the cultivated splendor, water spilling off its marble foundation and into the stream below. Above the sculpted base, a golden sun and a silver moon rotated around a webbed ball of pristine copper, accompanied by smaller spheres made of pearls.

A booming groan from behind jolted Willow and Aria, Cadenza letting out a small hiccup at the latter’s movement. They turned and saw the drawbridge climbing upright, the view of Canterlot slowly being blocked off by the thick wood. With a great slam, the gate shut, and Cadenza started crying again.

Aria pulled her close to her chest, but the foal’s bawls weren’t so easily abated this time. Willow reached out to pat Cadenza, but she shrieked at his approaching hoof and he backed away. Aria felt some sweat accumulate on her forehead with all the guards’ eyes boring into her. Neither she nor Willow noticed that the chariot had come to a halt.

“Oh dear.”

Aria and Willow froze and quickly turned their heads up to balcony that overlooked the courtyard. Celestia stood at its edge, shimmering more radiantly than all the luster of the castle. Her warm glow clashed with the small frown on her face. With wide eyes watching her from all angles, she unfurled her wings and glided down to the chariot, bringing herself close to Aria and Cadenza.

“I was worried the drawbridge would be too loud,” she said. “Well, lets get you all insi—”

Cadenza belched once more, this time sending milky spitup right onto Celestia’s coat. A couple of the younger guards gasped and even a few of the seasoned members gave stiff coughs and turned their heads to the ground. Struggling to keep his breathing in check, Mystic stood with his legs quivering and frozen to the ground. Willow and Aria turned as white as the walls, the latter opening her mouth to say something but her jaw only flapped up and down while Cadenza let out a content coo and nestled her head back against Aria’s fur.

Celestia brushed a hoof against her fur, clearing away the worst of the mess. Silence fell upon the courtyard, and Aria instinctively clutched Cadenza. Celestia turned her head up from her soiled coat, but with a warm smile instead of the frown she’d worn earlier.

“Well,” she chuckled, “I’m glad that’s all that was wrong.”

A collective sigh went through the courtyard. Willow and Aria melted into their seats, their bodies turned to jello. With a gesture of her head, Celestia summoned over some guards who helped them out of the chariot while a third pushed over a fresh wheelchair. Aria and Willow’s eyes stayed wide with a foggy tint to them until a fourth guard reached out to take hold of Cadenza.

“Madame,” he asked, “do you need an—”

“I’m so sorry, Princess!” Willow shouted, bowing his head low.

Cadenza stared up at him for a moment before her eyes grew wet and her lips quivered. She cried again, bringing Aria and Willow’s attention down to her. With a gaping mouth, Aria twisted her head back and forth between Celestia and her daughter.

“Why don’t we show you your room?” Celestia suggested.

“I… uh…” Aria stuttered before nodding her head. “Yes, your highness, let’s… let’s do that.”

“Wonderful.” Celestia pointed at the wheelchair nearby. “Do you require any help getting around?”

“Yes,” Aria said over Cadenza’s bawling. “Just so I can have a good hold on Cadenza.” She glanced at Willow. “I’d prefer if you pushed though.”

“Of course,” Willow huffed.

The two of them quickly moved over to the wheelchair while Celestia and the guards watched. When Aria was situated and Willow had a hold of the chair’s handles, Celestia turned around and began trotting across one of the curved bridges. Mystic bounded over and walked a few paces behind her.

While Willow pushed after them, Aria slung Cadenza over her shoulder again, making sure their heads were close to each other. A quiet tune, no louder than a whisper, drifted out of her mouth. Hearing it, Cadenza’s eyes grew heavy and her cries died down. Before her eyes fully closed, Willow lifted a hoof off a handle and brushed it over her mane, the tip of her horn rubbing against his leg.

By the time they reached a pair of oaken doors only slightly smaller than the entrance arch, Cadenza was soundly asleep once again. A bit of drool had pooled onto Aria’s shoulder, but she just slowly stroked her foal’s back. With a smile, Celestia pushed open one of the massive doors just enough for the group to slip through. As Aria and Willow passed by, she floated an embroidered towelette over to them, dabbing at the growing puddle of saliva. With a blush, Aria lightly pulled it out of Celestia’s telekinetic hold, keeping it at the ready to clean up her fur.

Moving to the head of the group once more, Celestia led them across a vibrant red carpet that split off in three directions. One way led straight up a set of stainless granite stairs while the other two diverged through doors on opposite sides of the foyer and continued down corridors that stretched for yards upon yards. Celestia moved toward the left hall, trotting through the warm light of stained glass composed of countless numbers of panes. Willow gazed up at them, reflections of the sun, the moon, the stars, and angular ponies dancing across his body.

“I can’t recall the last time we had non-diplomats stay with us,” Celestia said. “I’ll be sure to give you all a proper tour of the facilities once you are more settled in.”

“No, no,” said Willow. “That’s quite alright, Princess. Everypony in Canterlot has toured the castle at least once.”

“Ah, yes, the official tours,” Celestia mused. “My student did a wonderful job of selecting what the public can and can’t see. A shame that’s hardly any of the entertainment facilities.”

“I felt the castle’s grandeur came before the bowling alley,” Mystic said.

His sight flicked over to the windows, watching the light gain a progressively bluer tint the further they walked. The sun lost its polygonal rays and gained black specks and sharp craters. Glass ponies still froliced below the heavenly sphere but many now carried lanterns and draped cloaks over their bodies. Mystic looked down to Celestia, watching her trot with a small grin on her face.

“Here we are.” Celestia placed a hoof on twin door engraved with a moon in such a way that when it swung open, one side was left with a crescent while the other retained an ovular carving. Celestia gestured to Willow and Aria with a hoof. “Please, come inside.”

Carefully inching past Celestia, the family entered into night. Stars glistened off of the ceiling, aligning to form countless constellations. Auroras trailed across the painted sky, filling the vastness of space with magenta and violet hues. In the center of the grand fresco stood the moon, intricately detailed with silver and flecks of white gold so that it was as radiant as the many suns scattered around the castle. Only a bronze braid that encircled the ceiling like an approaching dawn kept the night from spilling down lavender pillars evenly spaced between the towering windows, ocean blue walls, and the doors that led elsewhere. This time, Willow wasn’t able to stop his jaw from dropping.

“My stars…” Aria gasped.

“Well, actually everypony’s stars,” Celestia chuckled.

She trotted over to a grand canopied bed decked in lilac sheets that drank up the morning light. Boxes littered the area around it, stacking up to match the bed’s mahogany supports in height.

“I hope you don’t mind if we supplemented your supplies with some of our own,” she said, turning to look back at Willow and Aria.

“No,” they both replied at the same time before sharing a look at each other.

“Really, Princess,” Aria continued. “This is more than we could ever ask for. I just hope we’re not intruding.”

“Oh, not at all. My Guard is at your service for anything else you may need.” Celestia brought herself close to them and looked down at Cadenza. “Especially if you have any trouble with her magic.”

“Yes.” Willow looked down at Cadenza, still peacefully sleeping, and curled his lips into a tight line. “Of course.”

“Wonderful.” Celestia breezed past them and back over to the door. “I think it’s time I clean myself off. Mystic, please assist them with anything they’ll need help with. Feel free to ask some guards to help if you need it.”

“Yes, Princess,” Mystic said with a bow.

~~~

A knock at the door perked up Celestia’s ears. She floated a towel away from her now-dry mane, letting it freely wave in the air once more.

“Come in,” she said.

Mystic wobbled into the room and over towards Celestia. Once he was close to her, he sighed and planted his flanks on the ground. A few beads of sweat dripped off his muzzle and onto the carpet.

“I haven’t seen you this flustered since the Griffin Dialogues,” Celestia mused.

“I’m not used to using my legs this much,” he huffed.

“How goes the move-in?”

“It’s progressing.” Mystic wiped some sweat from his brow. “Limiting magic makes the work slow though.”

“And Cadenza?”

“Fine until one of the guards dropped a box,” he sighed. “She awoke and gave me a headache, but luckily no magical flare ups yet.”

“That’s good to hear… not the headache, I mean.” Celestia let out a small chuckle. “Shall we have some cake to celebrate?”

The smile on her face died down when she saw the way Mystic’s lips were pulled into a tight line. He looked at her with narrowed eyes that closed for a moment when he took a gulp of air. They were still as sharp when he opened them again.

“Princess,” he said with a hint of a tremor in his voice. “You have never admitted anypony into the Lunar Suite.”

“I know,” Celestia sighed. “The other rooms just seem to suit other guests better.”

Mystic’s brow furrowed as he glanced up. Light poured down from above through clear glass down onto a silken canopy in the center of the room. Golden drapes crested over towering windows at one of the room’s sides, obscuring a view that looked out over all of Canterlot. He glanced over to the door and the vibrant sun carved into its wood.

“A room fit only for the highest of ponies.” Mystic leveled his gaze back on Celestia. “And nearly identical to this one. Princess, I understand the urgency of secrecy in this matter, but I need to know the truth about this foal if I’m going to help her.”

His voice echoed through the room while Celestia stared at him, her lips slowly turning downwards. Bowing his head, he spun around to leave.

“Forgive me,” he said with his eyes cast to ground. “I’ve mispo—”

The familiar warmth of a wing across his back silenced him. Celestia stood at his side and pulled him close before guiding him down to the ground and retracting her wing. Mystic’s eyes widened when he saw that tiny bags rested under hers.

“I suppose I haven’t been entirely honest with you, my faithful student. I assure you, Cadenza’s birth was a surprise to me… but I have worked for the past bicentennial in preparation for the arrival of another alicorn.”

“What?” Mystic gasped. He teetered backwards, but Celestia’s wing shot out and kept him from falling to the ground. Regaining his balance, he repeatedly ran a hoof through his mane, disheveling it. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“In a way, I did.”

A book wedged its way out of one of the many shelves that rested over the massive fireplace and floated over to Celestia and Mystic. Two ponies graced its cover, identical to the pair emblazoned on the Equestrian flag. Mystic pursed his mouth reading the title and stared at Celestia in confusion for a moment. Then, his eyes widened and a shiver ran through his body.

“This…” He nervously tapped a hoof to the book. “This is a foal’s tale— something parents tell their children to get them to behave. Y-you can’t mean that Nigh—

Celestia gently draped a hoof on Mystic’s shoulder. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you. You always worry so much.”

“B-but the citizens,” he stuttered, “they need to be warned.”

Celestia pulled him back and looked his straight in the eye. Gone was her warm smile, replaced with stern lips and sharp eyes. Mystic felt the power coursing off her through the firm hold on his shoulder, forcing him to stop shaking. After a moment, she retracted her hoof and took a deep breath, softer features flowing back onto her face.

“That day is still far away,” Celestia said, glancing up at the sky. “In the time of my next student, or perhaps even the one after that. Definitely in your lifetime though. I just hope we can sort out Cadenza’s life by then.”

“I…” Mystic pressed a hoof against his forehead. “I’m starting to imagine how Mrs. Aria and Mr. Reed feel now.”

~~~

Aria stood over a freshly reconstructed crib, her head cresting over its beige bars and looking down at Cadenza. Her swaddling was gone now, replaced with a small fuzzy blanket that covered her up to her head. Punctuated by a few murmurs, she peacefully slumbered while Aria softly hummed her a lullaby.

Willow stood at Aria’s side, peering down at his daughter. He tried to smile watching her dream— a great reprieve from her migraine-inducing wailing earlier— but her blanket would occasionally shift, lifted up by her tiny wings. The movement always sent a frigid twinge through him and forced his eyes to latch onto Cadenza’s tiny horn, its tip now beginning to sharpen and fully extend out of her forehead.

“You can go sit down,” Aria whispered after completing the melody. “We need to get a routine going. Don’t want us both looking like zombies.”

“No.” Willow gave his head a light shake and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m not that tired.”

She stared down at his hoof for a moment and then looked up. Sunken eyes with pinpricks for pupils attached to a pale face she barely recognized stared back at her. Willow took a shaky breath, just keeping his hold on her.

“Willow…”

“It’s fine, really. It’s…” He glanced down at the crib. “... fine.”

“We never said things would be fine.” Aria extended out a hoof and pressed it against Willow’s shoulder, mimicking his earlier gesture. “We knew things would be a mess for a while, that’d we’d barely be able to sleep, and that work would get a little harder.”

“But not like this,” Willow sighed, letting his hoof slump down Aria’s leg and then slowly fall to the ground. “Not in castle. Not with the Princess treating us like guests. Not with Cadenza like this.”

Aria tightened her grip around Willow’s shoulder. She furrowed her brow and gave him a scowl that sent a chill down his spine. He wanted to look away but her glare had a pull to it that forced him to look straight at her.

“I don’t want to hear that from you ever again, understand?”

Willow gave her a shaky nod.

“Good.” She relinquished her hold on him and sank closer to the crib’s bedding, a smile returning to her face. “You’d best find the talcum powder. You’re now on diaper duty for that comment.”

Willow paled a little. He took a step back, looking over to the collection of boxes, most of them still filled to the brim with various foal supplies. His eyes scanned over the various clusters, passing over mixed containers of food, dozens of empty nursing bottles, and tangles of foal toys tied up by jumbled mobiles. Yet, amidst all the supplies, he was unable to hone in on the one box he’d seen marked “Changing.”

“Where is it?” he sighed.

“Third box to your left,” said Mystic. “A bit of the comforter is draped over it.”

Aria and Willow jolted a little and spun around to see him close to the door. He tiptoed over to them with his head slightly lowered, offering them a small hint of a nervous smile.

“Sorry for sneaking in like that,” he whispered. “After last time, I didn’t want to wake your daughter up.”

“It’s fine,” Aria replied, waving a hoof back and forth.

“The Princess had some duties to attend to, so she sent me to come check back on you.” He glanced down at the crib and then at Aria. “We can have a maid assist in certain… matters.”

“No,” Willow answered, glancing at Aria. “That was something we were prepared for.”

“Making a few messes as well,” she said with a heavy voice. “We didn’t want to say anything earlier, but it, well, hasn’t made us the most gracious of guests. Guess even alicorns can be a hoof-full as foals, right?”

“The Princess and I understand completely.” Mystic trotted around them to the opposite side of crib, occasionally glancing up at the grand painted dome stretched out above them. “We’ve thrown a lot at you and perhaps have gotten caught up in the sway of things. I assure you, this rough patch will come to pass, but we’ll be there to assist in any way.”

“Then…” Willow turned his head to look straight at Mystic. “Can I ask one question for now?”

“Of course.”

“Does Cadenza have to be a princess?”

The question cut through the air, draping a thick veil on the room’s occupants. Goosebumps ran up Willow’s legs and he felt Aria’s glare on him. Mystic kept his lips in a straight line, but he couldn’t hide his pupils shrinking. Silence hung over the room for agonizing seconds, turning Cadenza’s soft breath into booming gasps.

“No,” Mystic finally answered. “As much as they are associated with her majesty, wings and a horn don’t make a pony royalty.”

He trotted back around the crib and gestured Aria and Willow over to a quartet of plush chairs the same hue as the bed. Willow guided Aria over, their steps both shaky. They clambered into two of the seats while Mystic occupied a third, all of them sinking into soft upholstery. He breathed deeply and looked up the cosmos above him. The stars shimmered in his eyes as he turned his head over to the moon in the center of the grand fresco. He felt some goosebumps creep up his legs looking at it, but diverted his attention down. Aria and Willow were staring at him.

“Nopony could ever be like the Princess,” he continued. “Few ponies outside the castle have any idea the work she does every day. I can barely recall the last time I saw her retire before midnight, only to awaken a few hours later to bring forth the day again. She just wants us to be happy, no matter what it takes.”

~~~

Alone in her room once more, Celestia sat by her fireplace gazing down at a massive unfurled scroll. Around her were stacks upon stacks of papers and memos, all doused in ink, some with just a signature, others covered end to end in black. Many of them had extensive titles with antiquated vocabularies that would have looked like gibberish to anypony but a bureaucrat. Paperwork like that was relegated to a few inches in front of Celestia and surrounded by a tiny army of quills, inkwells, and stamps.

Another collection of work was closer at her side, also coupled with a few inkwells and quills but lacking in stamps. The wording on these pieces was a bit less blocky and unobstructed by governmental lingo. Almost all of them had the word “Cadenza” written on them multiple times and were joined by a variety of lists and tables filled to brim with times and small notes legible only to Celestia at the moment.

The great scroll spread in front of her stood out from the clean and crisp notifications, treaties, and schedules gathered around her. Its paper was brown and flaky with age, with tears running down its dogeared edges. Two ponies sat in the center of it atop twin stone thrones, one adored with a sun and the other with a crescent moon. A familiar white alicorn sat in the former while a blue one with a mane like a swirling galaxy sat in the latter. Celestia reached out and lightly pressed a hoof against the blue pony’s painted face.

“Luna,” she said, voice slightly strained, “I won’t fail this time.”

Comments

[Taliesin of the Forest]

Feels man, dem feels.

[kjBALLAR]

I like dis.

[Shachza]

And it continues to get even more interesting. I'm all in for a well-thought look at Cadence's early life like this.

When Aria was situated and Willow had a hold of the chair’s handles, Celestia turned around and began trotting across one of the curved bridges.

Trotting is far too fast to be leading a wheelchair with. Plus, I don't think we've seen Celestia ever trot.

Trot at 1:50:

[Joural]

4267541

Man I wish I had even the slightest idea where that response came from. I didn't say anything about immortality...