Cadance The Crystal Princess

by Sean Tan the Brony

Chapter 3 - Flashback One: The Discovery

Crystal Empire, Three years ago

Darkness hung over the Crystal Empire as Cadance made her way back inside the Crystal Castle from the balcony, after waving some crystal ponies a peaceful night.

As Cadance walked through the empire's hallway, she stopped by one of the room and opened the door. She slipped inside and closed the door behind her via her magic. The room was fairly large, a wardrobe along with a small cabinet and a full size mirror was next to the door Cadance just closed and a crystal crib was sitting there near the corner. In the crib was Flurry Heart, her daughter, sleeping peacefully while hugging her favourite plush Whammy.

Next to it was her husband, Shining Armor, standing near the crib.

"I hope I'm not too late." Cadance said, smiling as she walked closer to her husband and her daughter.

"Not at all, Cady." Shining replied, turning his head and nuzzled his wife.

Cadance nuzzled him back before pulling back and stared at his eyes.

"I can't believe how far we have come." She said.

"Yeah, how long has it been? Four years?" Shining asked.

As they began reminiscing their pasts, a shuffling against the bed in the crib interrupted them.

Confused, the couple turned their head to their daughter. Flurry Heart was now shivering like a leaf. Confusion was immediately replaced with concerns, prompting the couple to check.

"What's wrong, my little Flurry? Are you unwell?" Cadance asked her daughter.

"Maybe we should call the-"

Whatever Shining was going to say, it was suddenly interrupted by a blast of yellow magic burst from Flurry's horn when she suddenly sneezed and hit directly at Cadance's chest. The Princess of Love was sent flying into the wall, sending dust and dirt everywhere in the room

Shining Armor coughed, looking back and forth between Flurry Heart and his wife, before shaking his head.

"Cadance! Are you all alright?!" He worriedly asked while rushing to his wife's aid.

As dust and dirt began to settle, he started to see his wife more clearly.

"Oh dear Celestia, you're all right! Do you need-" Shining stopped with a slack jawed look of surprise when he saw his wife.

Cadance, while retaining her pale pink coat, has a shiny light blue shaded from the tip of her horn to cyan and a pair of white wings with trailing edges of the feathers being pale blue.

She began to regain conscience.

"Sweet Mother of my aunt's name, I know she possessed powerful magic, but that was one strong magic." Cadance said as she steady righted herself, shaking the dust and dirt off of her, only to freeze.

Her husband had taken a defensive stance with his horn flared up while her daughter, who was now sleeping, was enveloped by his magical shield.

"Shining, what-" She began before getting cut off.

"Where's Cadance, Chrysalis?! He snarled.

"What are you talking abou-" She asked before getting cut off again by her husband stamping one of his hoof down.

"Don't play dumb. Where. Is. My. Wife?" He angrily asked with a death glare.

"Shining..." Cadance started, trembling slightly at her husband's question. "You're scaring m-"

She stopped when her eyes fell onto the mirror near the door and saw that her horn and wings were different now.

Realising why her husband was being hostile to her, she immediately defend herself.

"Shining, it's me. I'm not Chrysalis. I am Cadance, your love of your life."

"LIKELY STORY, Chrysalis" he snarled. She flinched back.

"Shining please..." Cadance whimpered, pool of tears beginning to form in her eyes. "If I was Chrysalis, I would have kidnapped Flurry Heart and used her to overthrow you. If I was her, I would have brainwashed you by now."

Slowly, the Prince of the Crystal Empire dropped his defensive stance, but his horn still flared with magic.

"Alright, if you are really Cadance, then say something only my wife will remember." He demanded.

The Princess of Love nodded her head quickly before replying.

"I remembered that a week from our wedding, Queen Chrysalis kidnapped me and take my form, before trapping me in the crystal cave under the Canterlot castle. I also remembered how I tried to find the way out, but kept failing miserably." Her voice wavered. "I also remembered how scared I was being alone in the cave while thinking about you being with the imposter."

By the time Cadance had finished talking, the tears in her eyes had begun to flow down her cheeks and she started weeping.

Whatever anger Shining Armor had quickly melted away into guilt and regret. Immediately, he dropped his magic and his magical shield around his daughter, before trotting toward his wife. He hugged her as she continued to cry on his shoulder.

"Cady, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." Shining apologetically said as he stroked her mane.

After a few moment, Cadance slowly stopped weeping and nuzzled her husband's neck before the couple parted ways.

"Feeling better now?" Shining asked to which she nodded her head, sniffing while wiping her tears with her foreleg.

Deciding to change the subject, he asked with a raised eyebrow. "So, why are both your horn and wings different?"

Cadance turned toward the mirror and looked at her body, twitching and fluttering her wings, before replying. "I... I'm not sure."

She quickly whirled her head toward her husband. "Don't tell my aunties and Twilight about this, please." She begged. "I don't know what will happen if they found out and I really don't want to know."

Shining winced. "I don't know if I can do that, Cady."

Cadance wore a panic expression, before he closed his eyes with a sigh and continued. "But I will see what I can do. We can also use that opportunity to find some answer to your appearance. For now, try disguising both your horn and wings."

She sighed in relief and nodded her head, before using her magic. A light blue aura glowed and shimmered around her, reverting her back to her old self.

Just then, a crystal guard barged his way into the room.

"Your highnesses, is everything alright?!" Lieutenant Sky Vision spoke up.

"At ease, lieutenant." Shining Armor reassured. "Everything's fine. Our daughter just have a magic surge when she sneezed. That is all, you are dismissed."

Sky Vision saluted the Prince before heading out the way he came and closed the door.

The couple stood there silently for a couple of minutes before it was broken by Cadance.

"Let's just go and sleep. We will figure something out tomorrow." The Princess of Love said, rubbing her temple.

Shining stared at her before sighing. "Yeah. That's probably good idea."

The couple quietly walked back to their bedroom, their mind still fresh from what had happened.

Author's Note:

This is my first flashback. Tell me if I am doing it right.

Comments

[Luckyfanisaac]

"Alright, if you are really Cadance, then say something only my wife will remember." He demanded.