Toxic Love

by Silvermyr

6. Dark Love

Shining and Cadance were both pacing outside the nursery. The doctor had come quickly and they had decided to leave him to his work in peace, and Sunburst had respectfully left them alone for now. ”What happened!? Flurry is an alicorn, and we don’t get sick! And so sudden too? She had been just as lively as usual according to Sunburst, how could she just feint like that?” She was thinking in circles, but there was nothing else she could do.

”Princess? Your foal has woken up,” the doctor said, just a few minutes after he had stepped inside the nursery. Both Shining and Cadance rushed to the door, only to be stopped by the doctor. ”I must advise you to be calm. I have never treated an alicorn, but a normal foal would be disoriented and should not be stressed. Don’t rush in and try to be quiet.”

”Of course,” Cadance said and tried to peek over the doctor towards Flurry’s crib. The doctor moved aside, and cadence went in swiftly, followed by Shining Armor.

Flurry did not seem to be the slightest stressed. She was already fussing about in her crib, wanting out to play. Cadance released a breath she did not realize she had been holding. Her little one was safe! All was well.

”Here, let me help you, Flurry,” Shining Armor said and picked up the filly and placed her on the floor. She immediately ran over to her tower of alphabet blocks, knocked it over and began to rebuild it. Cadance’s worry slowly disappeared and was replaced by love. Love for her husband and love for her little one.

”Oh thank goodness,” Cadance said quietly. ”Thank goodness.”

”Cadance! What happened!?”

By the voice, Twilight Sparkle was on the very limit of a panic attack. Unwillingly Cadance left the nursery and went to meet her sister-in-law. ”Flurry Heart suddenly fainted and-”

”No, what happened to you?” Twilight interrupted. ”There was something strange about your letter. There was…” Twilight bit her lip and looked around. Then she leaned closer and whispered. ”There was dark magic in it.”

Cadance felt her jaw go slack. How could that have happened? ”N-no, that’s impossible,” Cadance said, though she realized there was no chance Twilight was wrong.

”I know it is, but I also know it was there. I am the element of magic, remember? I have a sixth sense for it. Dark magic feels unlike anything else.”

Cadance knew it did. The euphoria she had felt when she first grasped it was nothing short of rapturous.

”Cadance~?” Shining Armor’s voice was soft and strangely high pitched. Delirious. ”Where did you go? I don’t want you to leave me~.” Shining Armor slowly sauntered out of the nursery. His manic look was back. It was as if he did not even see Twilight, or heard Flurry’s displeased wails at being left alone. ”I don’t want you to ever leave me again. I think I will die if you do. If I don’t breathe the same air as you… If I don’t drink from your glass and eat from your plate… AHAHAHA! I really love you, Cadance!”

”Ehm… hi, brother,” Twilight said hesitantly. ”How, uh, are you doing?”

”Twilight, shut your mouth,” Shining said bitingly. ”I want to hear my wife breathe.”

Twilight looked at her brother as if he had just grown several extra heads. She did not even look insulted.

”Shining…” Cadance said quietly, ”Please tell me that was some sick joke.”

”Hah! I assure you, I have never been more serious!” Shining said, his voice once again delirious and lips crooked upwards in a mockery of a smile. ”Why won’t they all shut up? Flurry with her constant yelling and my sister with her twaddle? Drives me crazy.”

”Shining?” Twilight asked carefully. She still did not seem to have understood what she was hearing. Then again, neither did Cadance. ”What’s gotten into you? What are…?”

”Oh, for the love of Cadance, SHUT UP!” Shining Armor screamed. His horn flashed and with a bright "Clang!", a blue dome appeared around Cadance and Shining Armor, locking Twilight and everything else out. Not a sound could be heard, aside from her own quick and shallow breathing.

”Much better,” Shining Armor said and turned to her. ”Now there’s just the two of us. No annoying baby or sister or city planners or guard recruits.” Behind him, Twilight pushed her front hooves to the solid bubble. Cadance could see worry radiating from her eyes, but she could not hear a word Twilight said. She saw the mouth move, but heard not a syllable. ”Cadance,” Shining Armor said, snapping her attention back to him. ”I love you. I love you so much. I want you. I need you. I need to have you.”

He walked towards her with the posture of a drunkard. He stumbled and tripped over his own hooves, but his eyes never left hers, or even blinked. Instinctively, Cadance recoiled and stepped backwards, until she felt her hindquarters hit the bubble wall.

”I need you!” Shining Armor’s voice broke into falsetto and her rushed at Cadance. A harsh sound snapped in the bubble as Twilight appeared in a cascade of purple magic. The small alicorn’s horn blazed as Shining Armor’s hooves left the floor. He hovered in his little sister’s magic, legs flailing and trying to gallop.

”What’s gotten into you!?” Twilight asked angrily. ”What is this!?”

”I told you to shut u-” Shining Armor stopped in the middle of the sentence. His eyes pulsed once with soft purple before he went limp and started snoring. The bubble around them dissolved.

Cadance stared at her husband, her horn gleaming pink. Tears fell from her eyes. ”Twilight,” she said shakily. ”I-I… I’ve made a huge mistake.”

Comments

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

Very intense scene! Advice should be advise though.

[Super Ponyman]

8939047
Reminds me of Lesson Zero