CH 37.3 Evening Fair Little Complications
Cadance smiled, unable to hide that her eyes were slightly glazed. She still could not entirely conceal when she was focusing on her domain. Coloured heartlines twirled and shifted all over the palace. There was so much emotion that it seemed to make the air vibrate. The excitement and joy swirled around her, a happy background to the main event. She shifted a wing and watched the swirls and eddies ripple thought the energetic air.
Courting Alicorns were not something to be underestimated. When Cadance had started dating Shining Armor more than a dozen new relationships had started. All of them between those she happened to have spent time around. An Alicorn’s emotions could easily influence others unless they had total control of themselves. Two Alicorns when at least one was unstable almost did not bear thinking of.
Rarity let out her musical, elegant laugh. The white mare had her attention focused on Prince Blueblood an intensity to her eyes as she watched him. Blueblood still with his refined manners sat opposite Rarity, the two white ponies seeming a matched set as he happily shared tea and sandwiches with Rarity. Cadance could not help from shaking her head. She would never have seen that one coming.
To her sight, everything was just a mess of coloured lines twisting as they stretched between ponies both near and far. She focused in on the pair. The line between them was young and fresh. The misdeeds of the past were almost forgotten by Rarity’s generous nature, only leaving the faintest discolouration. Given time even that would fade. Blueblood's side had a touch of grey, a mix of sadness and sorrow, but the core was bright. He was truly trying to make amends.
Cadance ran some shipping calculations in her mind. Fifty-fifty that they either become good friends or start down a path to something deeper. She thought somewhat amazed at the result she had reached. Something fundamental had changed about the mortal prince, but what?
Blueblood got up, heading to one of the food stands. A flicker of movement drew her eyes. A whisper-thin strand of a connection trailed from him. Only visible as it cut in front of a brighter heartline. This oddity was far too thin for her to see what colour it was and yet still sharp and robust looking. It was almost as if she might cut herself upon it if she reached out for it. This was unnatural, anything that narrow should last no more than a few seconds. The strand spilt halfway one end headed to Luna the other to Twilight. Heartlines never lead to more than one pony. That would have to be a mystery she investigates another time. It seemed too weak to have any real effect.
She let her eyes follow Twilight and Luna’s as they made their way to the main arena. She was happy everything was going well between them. Her sister-in-law had played her cards almost perfectly, no doubt having Night within her had helped immensely. There had been a few moments where Cadance had worried one or the other was about to lose it and do something crazy. Each time one of their emotions going to a very dark place. Still, fortunately, they managed to restrain themselves before she had to get Shining to practice his special talent to keep the ponies of Ponyville safe.
When their daughter had attacked them with plushies of each other, it was a moment faithfully recorded in film.
Cadance focused in on the tangle of Heart-Lines between her sister in law and her aunt. It was hard to see in detail. There were far too many lines bright with devotion and gratitude from the parents of the foals Twilight had healed.
She had to block them out one by one so she could have a good look. Night’s and Dreams’ lines were the simplest. They had a thick pink strand of selfless love for Luna. Night’s tainted by sadness and Dreams’ marred by a bit of jealousy. It seemed a part of Dreams wished to keep Twilight all for herself.
I’m going to have to talk to her, maybe I should invite her over to my Bastion for a little chat after my next lesson with Night? Cadance thought.
Nova’s was little but raw passion and lust, but there was potential for that to grow into more.
Twilight was being dragged along by all the others. Well, all except Grey. Grey’s line was thin and dull, Cadance could just see that mare sitting in Twilight’s library, bored, simply waiting for this fair to be over so she could get back to her studies.
There were a few unique shades, Twilight’s deep respect for the Alicorn of the Night, her friendship and her own lust. There was a strong love, but it was the love between friends, companions. There was a total lack of anything that could be called true romantic love that did not start in either Night or Dreams. Fragments made everything far more complicated.
All and all, things could not have been going better.
With her senses paying attention to her domain, Shining Armor’s approach was like a second sun to her. The warmth and the rock-solid foundation of their shared love distracting her.
“Hey, Cady, about the budget. I think we need to spend some more on training our guards.”
She blinked her vision returning to normal as the visible lines between ponies retreated to where she was only subconsciously aware of them.
“Shining, I think we can talk about that tomorrow, I don’t think this fair is the right place for an official conversation anyway.”
Shining Armour looked like he might object. Cadance titled her head one ear moving just enough for him to see as she raised an eyebrow questingly.
“Alight, tomorrow then.”
She smiled lovingly. She really had him well trained. It had only taken a weak for him to learn the ‘push me on this and you’re on the couch’ look. Now the only question was how to bring up she had a thousand undying guards she could summon wherever and whenever she wished. That and the slowly growing number of crystal pegasus archers her first fragment was creating.
Perhaps she could play it off as an ancient defence of the Crystal Empire that she had inherited. In a way that was the truth, from a certain point of view at least. No, she did not want to be like Celestia, all secrets and plots. Yet on the other hoof, she dared not tell him the truth. If he knew how powerful she was, he would feel useless.
The sounds of the guards all stomping mixed with the peels of thunder added a primal energy to the duel her two fellow princesses were engaged in.
Cadance watched, a sinking feeling of inadequacies rising, tightening her chest. Watching the flow of battle, Twilight and Luna danced and flowed between moves. Each action, each strike, all adding to the work of art. It seemed she was even further behind in her combat training that she had initially thought. She was going to have to ask Night for some training during their next lesson.
The crowd of ponies watched enthralled, caught up in the excitement of the spectacle. More than a few dragged along stomping the ground to the beat.
A spike of negative emotion assaulted her. It slammed in her senses like a hammer. Rocking forward from the almost physical impact Cadance’s head whipped around. Her sight shifted to her domain as she let all her senses expand. There was a confusing mess of dark feelings.
Little Star sat with her friend on a cloud all frozen still, terror and revulsion radiated off them. Fear, confusion, panic, and an intense need to do something held back only by doubt over what to do.
Leaping into the air, she got halfway to them before she even needed to spread her wings.
Something being shown by Little Star’s magic transfixed Little Star and the CMC. Cadance moved to see what it was. It looked like some sort of scrying spell, showing the battle from a closer vantage point.
Luna swung a mace of glowing magic, Twilight’s leg snapped, jagged bones tearing through her coat. Cadance could feel her stomach churning, nausea attempting to evict the large number of snacks she had consumed from her body in the most direct manner.
Cadance flicked her eyes to the dome, within Twilight and Luna were still fighting, Twilight leg glowing red but looking whole. In the scrying window, Twilight’s leg was healing, the bones pulling themselves back into the correct shape.
This was not something anypony should be watching, let alone these four young ones. Cadance wrapped all four of them in her wings, her body blocking their view. “Everything is ok, nopony is hurt, just forget the bad things you saw today, ” She whispered to them.
Three of the four settled calmly in her embrace. One of them was still tense, shaking slightly. She looked down, meeting Little Star’s tearful eyes.
“Aunty Cadance, why did you lie to them?” Little Star asked in Whisper-Speak
“I… They are too young for the truth,” she replied in kind.
“The truth is the truth. How can you be too young for the truth?”
How was she going to answer that? She considered everything she knew about Little Star. She was a sweet foal, caring for others, but was overly logical. “When knowing it would cause harm or cause somepony to do something that would cause harm to them or others.”
“But you used mind control on them like…”
“Not mind control, It’s a gift Alicorns have, we have a duty to use it to help our ponies.”
“Help ponies by controlling them?”
It did sound bad when she put it like that. “We are meant to help make our ponies lives better, to make their suffering go away when we can and protect them, even from themselves.”
"How is this protecting them?"
“If they remember seeing this, they would have nightmares… probably for the rest of their lives and be terrified to go anywhere near both your mothers.”
“Have you looked at your mothers’ expressions? Can you see the smiles, the laughs?”
Little Star studied the scene both through her scrying window and not. She nodded. “Yes”
“To an Alicorn, that… that is just training… and it seems both your mothers like keeping their skills sharp. To them, this is just a game where they both know no permanent harm will be done.”
“So they are playing?”
“Yes… it’s not a game I would want to play, nor one they can safely play with others, but yes.” Her eyes tracked to the brutal carnage her fellow Princess’ were inflicting on each other. Cadance fought the shudder threatening to break her visage of calmness. The brutality made Luna's training seem as gentle as a lover’s embrace.
Little Star tilted her head in confusion. Looking so much like her mother did at that age “So… so they don’t hate each other?”
“No, of course not. I’m the Alicorn of Love, and I can see how they feel for each other… and even though I don’t understand why, this is only making them love each other more.”
Little Star looked to her wooden owl. “Whooo,” it said.
“Now close that thing, and if you must watch it, watch it as they intended you to, please.”
Luna and Twilight are going to have so much to answer for. Cadance thought secretly, glad that Luna was the Alicorn of dreams. With her soothing Alicorn power laced words ineffective, Little Star would have terrible nightmares tonight.
A small hoof began petting the owl. "Alright." Light Star said, the unedited view winking out of existence.
From under Cadance’s wing, Little Star watched the intended show the Alicorn duel was providing. The filly had an intense, inscrutable expression frozen on her face.
Cadance spent the rest of the fair perched on a cloud keeping four young ponies company.
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Wuhu! Awesome Cady is awesome!
And here is a browny for the 'push me on this and you sleep on the couch' look!
Ok a lot of things in this chapter. When I saw that it was pretty short I was dissapointed but there is some good stuff in this!
Yeeeeaaaahhh, oops there. Star is once again too precocious for her own good, showing the CMC what was really happening. Alicorn mental manipulation is seriously dark grey, but that right there is why it isn't entirely black.
think star will ever learn to NOT spy like tht? that some things are better left unknown? xD
10404623
She was created from part of Twilight, either figuratively due to being her daughter, or literally as in one of the pieces of Tiwlight was used to make her.
The answer, therefore, is obviously no.
10404665
obviously, doesn't help star is essentially twilight, right before the spell debacle.
This sounds almost like some kind of kindred spirit type thing. Each of them has been wounded by Celestia in a similar way and thus there is a connection there. At the same time though, given how it is described, it is possible that it is also the shadow virus thing that went semi-rogue trying to form that connection between the three to further chance for revenge on Celestia. Consolidate all forces opposing Celestia into one united front and all that.
Side note: It would be hilarious if Celestia's downfall was completely masterminded by Grey
Also isn't Skootaloo going to have to witness that kind of gore in the not so distant future as one of Twilight's knights?
10404879
I don't think Scoots will have to see it That bad, or that soon. I thought twi stipulated that serving as her knight would come After she comes of age.
I like the idea of the "shadow virus" going rogue, but considering all we've heard from guide about it is he made it to get BB against celestia. And making a conscious thoughtform with that vague a directive will always lead to something un-expected, so it can't really go rogue when it has such broad programming.
I think it would be funnier and/or cooler of celestia's fall was her own fault.
I loved this chapter and I look forward to the next!
10405027
I think guild's plans might be going into motion faster than Skootaloo "coming of age" as it were, but i don't know her current age so perhaps I'm wrong. However it is very possible, though less likely, that Skootaloo could encounter a sombratic mage, like we saw Candice fight in Manehattin, in or around Ponyville or Cloudsdale
Wait a minute. Little Star has a protection spell on them to stop them from being mind controlled. Or does it not work against that alicorn ability? (not yet at least)
Way to traumatize the kids you two :D
10405879
Not actually their fault, Little Star breached their security. Precocious little foal.
I absolutely love this fic I first heard it through straight to the point studios and came here to read ahead this is one of if not the best fic here in my opinion I can't wait to see where it goes . Also little star is just the cutest and I wants to hug and snuggle her
10384163
Sunset was mentioned SO OFTEN in this story that I will be VERY dissapointed if she doesnt show up. I will be surprised even.
But my theory is that Sunset actually isn't in another world but she's just trapped in her own mind by celestia because either she got to powerful or she found something out that Celestia didn't want her to know. And the mirror basically is just a door into her mind in case celestia needs it.
But Sunset found out about the exit and left ( she's unaware that she's trapped in her mind, she actually thinks she's in another world ) so Celestia had to play along with the whole other world thing.
Yeah kind of crazy but hey , this story is anything but normal!
10405796
That is what I was thinking!
10410233
Little detail, Alicorn power is not stopped by mental wards. It only prevents regular mind magic from working on the one protected.
10424301
wait... so if Celestia(who may or may not actually be using mind control at all if a certain prince is compromised) used her voice instead of mind magic it would be absolute even overriding the pendant the prince has?
10425100
To a point. It's not as precise and there are more details to it than that. And it depends on what other protections might be there.
I just thought about something.....Celestia NEEDS to die !
I'm telling you, in about 20 Chapters...shes DEAD!!
Not killing her off wouldn't make ANY SENSE !!!
And no, I'm not saying that because I hate this Celestia or something, it just makes the most sense for the Story....I mean as far as I can see... obviously there could be something that I don't know that changes this!
How do you say Candice's name?
Is it Can-diss or Can-dise?
Man this is honestly one favorite fics I just wish it didn’t take forever to get more chapters but I can say that the wait is worth it for the level of quality
10409700
Only issue with the Sunset Shimmer theory, Twilight use tech from that world cause no one else would know how to use it unless they’d been to that world, do sunset is 100% in another world. Plus it definitely seems like almost everything up to starlight glimmers recruitment and the school of friendship has happened in this world so that means a lot of the canon things of the show are still here it would seem.
I wonder if that’s ok? Like this is 2 steps away from being mass mind controls so I’m pretty sure it’s wrong? And if it “ok” then that gives a lot of leeway for celestias case, it also seems like something the princess of love has and obligation to warn those two or at least twilight about how there making everyone around them “intoxicated”.
Bro I can taste the hypocrisy
. So what is celestia case just in the extreme? No no it’s bad to mind controls people you can only subtly (actually no there nothing subtle about wiping memories with a few words) influence this decision without there consent as we alicorns we’re giving that power for a reason.
Don’t most villains and tyrants start out but justifying there actions for the “greater good”?