Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

Hung Up

Shining looked over the large crowd of ponies slowly being led into the central palace. They had time enough, but what he really feared was that they might be missing someone. He'd tell the guards to triple check, just to be extra sure. He'd probably check himself too.

Cadence walked to his side. He didn't properly hear her hoofsteps, but he had gotten to know her enough to tell when she was near like he was sensing her more than anything. The same went for her noticing him, of course. "You don't have to stay, you know?" she said, stepping fully to his side and looking at the crowd too.

"I know," he said. "You know I'll decide to stay anyway," he added. They silently watched a green filly with a black mane accidentally step out of line, distracted while reading a book, before a guard walked up to her and pointed her in the right direction. "This is the part where you bring up Flurry," Shining said.

"This is the part where you bring up the other guards," said Cadence. She sighed. "You wouldn't be the stallion I married if you didn't choose to stay here. It's frustrating."

"You can knock me unconscious and have me carried to safety," said Shining. "I won't hold it against you. Neither will Twilight, or anyone else. In fact, I think some would probably be relieved if you did it."

Cadence could be seen very subtly biting her lower lip. They stayed silent a little longer, until the filly, who'd rejoined the group, disappeared from sight as she stepped into the building while the crowd continued to move. "You're worth more to me than any one of them," she said. "Is it wrong?"

"It's in our nature," Shining said. "I think it really depends on what you decide is right or wrong. Am I worth more to you than all of them together, though?"

"Yes." Cadence lifted her head slightly, looking towards the end of the trail of mostly ponies being gathered into the palace. "So are your decisions. So is your own idea of what right is. If you want to stay, I want you to stay, even though I want you to leave."

Shining quietly smiled. "Flurry will be alright. My parents have a pretty good track record with kids." He cocked an eyebrow, as a green unicorn and an earth pony walked out of the palace, in the opposite direction compared to the way the rest of the crowd was going.

Cadence noticed that too, and noticed the guard walking after them as well. Not chasing them or keeping an eye on them, it was more like he was accompanying them somewhere. "I'm sure they have their reasons," she said.

Shining sighed. "On one hoof, it's good news for us. On the other, it's bad news for them. But it's their choice. Hopefully Twilight gives them a proper rundown."

"Would you have let that filly stay if she'd decided to?" Cadence asked. "I'm not saying you're wrong, I just thought... You know how it is."

"I know," Shining said. "I'd say now is a good time to not concern ourselves over hypotheticals that didn't take place. She'd be surprised we were even talking about her."

"It is the kind of attention that might make a pony's day," said Cadence, smiling slightly. "Maybe we should tell her if we see her again."

Comments

[Speckle]

Hmmm, curious. We've seen that green filly before....