Lacrimis Solis Dea

by NovusStar123

Love

Cadence felt the two halves of her heart fall with agonising pain to the bottom of her soul. She saw what she saw, her heart and love Shining Armour...KISSING her aunt. She desperately wanted to wake up now, to wake in her own bed with her loving husband lying next to her. But this was no dream, she painfully realised. That was her husband in that room with her aunt.
"...Cadence...Cadence wait!"

She heard him call her from further down the marble and gold hallway. He was a strong stallion and would soon catch up with her, so she unfurled her beautiful magenta wings and pushed back with the last of her strength. The power of the flap caused her to leap several more yards ahead, giving her more time to think of what to do. Tears fell uncontrollably from her startling pink eyes, leaving a trail of scattered sorrow behind her. But one fact pained her more than anything. Not only had she been betrayed by those closest to her, by her own family, but...
'I was going to tell him, tonight when he got back...I was going to tell him...'

The thought of the broken dream made her absently touch her stomach, and a fresh wave of tears overcame her. Her legs buckled beneath her as she became distracted. She crashed onto the rich embroided carpet lay ran the length of the hallway. And there she lay, not trying to pick herself up again. The fall brought her hoof again to her stomach, where she desperatly panted and wept at the same time.
"Please, please...no, n-no, not this, not now...please...Celestia please, no!" she wailed...as a thin trickle of blood snaked its way from between her lower lips. Cadence ran a hoof across the trail of blood, staining the golden carpet a deep shade of maroon. She scrambled frantically with her hooves against the blood and her stomach. "Please, oh please...Goddess, n-n-NO!" she screamed as an incredible fiery pain stabbed itself into her lower regions. She had never known such pain to exist in the world, and the agony almost made her pass out.

The sound of her pain and the sight of her fall brought Shining Armour to her side quicker then she thought. The stallion cradled her shaking body with his forehooves, not so unlike the manner which he did with her aunt. But through all the sorrow and anger she felt for him, his voice still brought her comfort, especially now.
"Cadence...my love are you hu-", he stopped when his eyes found the red serpent flowing from between her legs. "Sweet Goddess no, it can't b- why didn't you tell me?" He hugged her close, and thankfully she did not pull away.
"I was...after your rounds, but...", all her anger and pain came flowing back in a heartbeat, "you were with her...in the bedroom..." Cadence's glare could have shattered glass. "You were with Celestia...why? How could y-ARRRGH" she keeled over in pain again, clutching her torso, her tears mingling with the bloodstained carpet. Her screams were so loud that they began to hurt Shining's hearing. Two guard ponies came runing ove, greeted by the sight of a bloody princess and her husband. Shining looked up at the two guards, both of which had looks of confusion and shock plastered on their faces.
"What are you waiting for? GET A DOCTOR NOW!" he bellowed. Both guards ran off with "yes sirs", and Shining tried his best to think of some way to explain to Cadence.
"It wasn't what you think, I only came in there to see that she was well. I heard her crying and I thought she was hurt. I would never do this to you my love. You have to believe me when I say that we can overcome this. It was a moment of madness that should never of happened. I swear on my life- on Twilight's...that I never meant to hurt you". He pressed his forehead to hers, their horns sparking slightly as they brushed each other. Cadence opened her eyes, those wonderful, wonderful eyes. Her voice was barely a whisper.
"I loved you..."

Shining felt his heart crack. She said 'loved' not 'love'. His entire world came crashing down around him. Did she she really mean it? She didn't love him anymore? Shining's eyes began to tear up. He cursed himself for doing so; he hadn't cried in years at anything, no hurt or injury could make him do so. But Cadence's words struck like a well honed dagger in his heart. He released his wife from his embrace and fell on his haunches, sobbing silently. he had lost everything that he held most dear in a single night.

The two guards returned with a team of medical ponies, all unicorns. two hauled Cadence's now scarlet body onto a strecher whilst the other three began to probe her with medical instruments. Both Shining and Cadence both knew that no amount of magic or medicine could heal the wound that now pulsated in both their hearts. As for Cadence herself, Shining couldn't believe what had happened to her. Not only had he lost the one he loved most in all the world, but...but...
"I was going to be a father..?" he said thinking aloud. The thought humbled him, and hurt him more than he ever thought anything could. What if she loses the foal..? It was the only thing that he could think about for the next hour. Shining prayed for her forgiveness, and that their child would be unharmed. But the fall had struck Cadence hard, and the amount of blood was unnatural.
'And its all MY fault...' he though sadly as he began to follow the team of frantic doctors towards the Canterlot Hospital.

Celestia walked wearily towards the wide marble balcony at the end of her large bed chamber. Her regalia was still scattered across the room on top of the luxurious rugs and carpets that lay on the marble floor. Using her magic, she picked up the tall decanter of dreamwine and hurled it into the fiery hearth to her right. The flames erupted violently before dying back down to their previous state. The sun goddess paced into the cool night air as she stepped onto the semi circular balcony. The night sky was beautiful as always, Luna's constellations shining like crushed diamonds on a field of dark blue velvet. Her glorious silver moon was only a crescent this evening, but still bathed its magical radience of twilight's silver shade on all of Equestria as brightly as it would have done if it were full. Celestia sighed and wiped the last of her tears from her rose coloured eyes with a forehoof. Though Luna's night was wonderful to behold, it had been one of the worst in Celestia's entire life. Due to an insane moment of drunken foolishness, she had singlehoofedly destroyed her niece's heart. And all this was caused the loss of some pony she only found out the name of that very evening. Why was it all a mess?

Celestia meant what she had said to shining Armour. She wasn't sure if she could continue to preside over all of ponykind for much longer. Philomena flew overhead of her and perched herself on the intricately crafted golden balustrade that wrapped around the balcony. The sun goddess leant against the edge and peered sadly at the land which she and her sister forged. To the south, Celestia spied the tiny lights of Ponyville. She wondered what Twilight was doing right know, if she was sleeping or doing some late night studying. Or maybe, doing something completely new and exciting. Celestia hoped it was the last thought, and let a small smile surface when thinking about her favoured pupil.
'What would Twilight say to Shining Armour if she knew what had transpired this evening?', the white alicorn thought to herself, 'would she know what to do?'
The thought of the two hearts that Celestia had just ripped apart gradually made her eyes water again. She had probably wept enough tears to supply Cloudsdale with water twenty times over that night alone, and she restrained her tears. But her heart wept more then anypony ever come in an entire lifetime. She had betrayed her only niece, and there was nothing Celestia found more hurtful in all the world. The thought of broken love also brought her thoughts back to Star Soarer. If he did indeed have a marefirend, what did she think of the princess, the one who basically sentenced Star Soarer to death. Resentment? Hatred? Sorrow? Or worst of all, Celestia thought...pity. The painful separating of two hearts is something that Celestia had bitter experience with herself.

The memories of a time long forgotten by any living pony save herself and Luna came flooding back to her. A time when she said to somepony, not a relative, those three most beautiful and painful words in existence.
I love you...

******************************

"Come on Tia, just try it. Its really good, honest"
Celestia looked at her coltfriend, a powerfully built unicorn stallion by the name of Dawn Fire, with trepidation. Before her was something that he had made, and I didn't look very edible. He called it a cake...and Celestia had never seen such a thing in her life. It was spongy, and crumbled like crystallised sugar, but it was covered in a layer of white. A single cherry was lodged on the top of the triangular slice. The young alicorn sniffed it and pulled away.
"I don't know, it looks kind of strange...what is the white stuff on it anyway? It smells sweet and kind of sticky"
"Icing" came the cool response. Celestia looked at Dawn Fire with loving eyes. His coat was of a pale light blue, paler than the sky, crowned by a mane of deep navy streaked with gold. His head was crested by his magnificent horn. His hooves were almost twice the size of Tia's, and emblazoned upon his flank was a sun set alight with silver flames. His eyes were of an alluring indigo, a sight which made the young white alicorn's heart melt with happiness.
With a cautious bite, Celestia sank her teeth into the soft triangle. Her eyes lit up with delight as she swallowed the divinely delicious bite of cake. She immediately took another, then another, and anoth-
"Whoa! Take it you like it then?" Dawn Fire asked with a chuckle. Celestia raised her head, tossing her long mane of pink and green - only - out off her eyeline. She smiled timidly. "Its the sweetest thing I've ever tasted" she replied in awe. Dawn Fire raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Oh really, THE sweetest thing?" he asked, chuckling lightly. Celestia blushed before moving her lips against those of her coltfriend.
"Almost..." she said in a whisper...

********************************

The sound of flapping brought Celestia back to the present. She turned her teary gaze upwards. A beautiful winged figure landed before her on the balcony. Her coat was of a dark night sky blue, bearing an impressive cutie mark of a moon against a black sky on her flank. She stood almost as tall as Celestia, but not quite. Her vast wings folded to her sides as she tossed her wondrous mane of pure billowing night behind her.
"Good evening Luna, its good to see you at thi-"
"We must not linger my sister", came the rushed response from the alicorn of the night, "Princess Cadence has been taken to Canterlot Hospital. Her husband is already there. We must take flight immediately to safeguard her. The night will have to last a little longer this day my sister" Luna flapped twice before launching into the night sky.
Celestia couldn't comprehend what just happened. Cadence, in hospital? Why? What had happened? The sun goddess quickly composed herself and retrieved her scattered regalia. As she thought of possible reasons as to why her niece was in hospital, a sudden realisation sparked in her mind.
"Oh no..."
When Cadence entered the room, Celestia felt the presence of two lives where she had been standing. One was of Cadence herself, but the other Celestia barely noticed, too caught up in the shock of being discovered to give it any notice. She had later thought it was just her imagination, but now...
"A foal..." she said to herself in horror. Cadence was pregnant.
Steeling herself as best she could, Celestia sprinted back to the balcony where she spread her glorious white wings. She flapped twice before rising in an elegant arc over the edge of the balcony. The moonlight rippled against her angel wings beautifully, making the white feathers shimmer with a fantstical silver light. Philomena gave a squwark of alarm before spreading her own golden and scarlet wings and joining her mistress in the air. The phoenix left a trail of blazing orange light in a her wake.
And with all the speed they could muster, the alicorn and the phoenix flew towards Canterlot Hospital...

To Be Continued....feedback greatly appreciated :)

Comments

[BranFlakes]

The plot thickens!

[EmmyGee]

this chapter was better than the last but after the flashback the font needs to stop being italic

[Arco Iris]

this needs to be featured... nuff said

[Pony Knight]

832841 I completely agree with you