Out of Cadance

by David Silver

7 - High School Heartaches

Tempo guarded Cadance. This was a constant, far beyond arguing. One may as well try to deny the sun in the sky. When a stallion gave Cadance a funny look, Tempo took note. There were many stallions to take notes about. Cadance was growing more and more enchanting, and they were noticing.

But there was one little thing she didn't plan on. She was just as pretty. Her attitude wasn't the same radiance as her sister, but her body was a copy.

Stallions noticed her, but Tempo didn't notice them, too busy watching Cadance.

There was one specific stallion that kept looking at Cadance. He was a danger.

She roused to action, ready to protect her sister. Poor Shining didn't expect to get shoved against a locker with Cadance glaring at him. Wait, no, that wasn't Cadance. "Tempo?"

Tempo's tail gave an angry lash. "Why do you keep staring at Cadance?" Tempo leaned in. She didn't breathe, so there was no angry breath to use as a weapon of intimidation. "If you're planning to attack her, you have to get through me."

"What? No! No way!" He crossed his arms in front of himself.

"But you keep watching her." Tempo squinted suspiciously. "You monitor her movements, but you aren't her friend. You barely talk to her. You get..." She drew a hoof back, hovering in the air. "What are your intentions?"

"Um..." Shining ducked under her remaining hoof and scooted away a few steps. "It's none, um, of your business."

"I would disagree." Tempo followed at a slow, purposeful, walk. "I will protect my sister. Cadance will not be hurt."

"I don't want to hurt her." He laughed tensely. "I'd never want to do that..."

Tempo halted her advance as Shining laughed nervously, realization slowly dawning in her eyes. "You...don't want to hurt Cadance?" she clarified.

At his vehement head shake, she peered closer, taking in his faint blush and shy smile. Comprehension clicked - she had seen similar moony looks on the faces of castle guards when the object of their affection passed by.

"Ohhh," Tempo uttered, tension easing from her frame. She gave Shining an appraising up-and-down glance. "You wish to court my sister then."

It wasn't really a question, but he sputtered out a response regardless. "Well I - she's just so - I mean, all the colts think she's-"

Tempo tilted her head, waiting for him to collect himself. She supposed she couldn't fault the poor boy for being flustered in front of her rather imposing double.

"I just think she's really nice, that's all," Shining finally mumbled. "Super pretty and sweet..."

He risked meeting Tempo's gaze. "I get that you're protective of her. But you don't have to worry about me, honest!"

Tempo considered him a moment longer before allowing a little smile. "Very well then. But Cadance's safety is still my first priority..." Her eyes glinted. "So you'll have me to answer to if you upset her."

She held out a hoof to shake. "But friendship first, monitoring second," she added in a lighter tone. Perhaps she could give this bumbling colt a chance - for Cadance's sake if nothing else.

Shining looked immensely relieved, eagerly accepting the hoofshake. "You got it! And maybe we could even all hang out sometime too?" He smiled hopefully. "Could use all the tips I can get on how to get out of the friendzone..."

Tempo blinked. "That's a new word." She glanced at the other students milling past, a few watching what had been a confrontation. "What does it mean?"

"Uh!" Shining looked like he desperately hoped for a hole to fall into. "Well... Um... She knows me..." He tapped his hooves nervously. "But not much more than that... I want to be more than just 'a pony she knows.'"

"You can't be her sister. You're not a mare, and that's my job." They weren't accusations exactly. Tempo was just noting facts. "Her brother?"

"No, no..." Shining laughed tensely. "You are very intense."

Tempo smiled at that. "I care about my sister. I will protect her. What relationship are you trying to get?"

Shining sank against the lockets. "There are too many ponies watching us..." The crowd was slowly growing. "Can we go over this, maybe... after school?"

"Alright." Tempo walked past him, looking confident that she had done her part for that moment.

Shining wiped his sweating brow with a swipe of a foreleg. "Wow..." He hurried to the next class with a nervous laugh.

---

A pony stood in front of Tempo. "You are in the way." Tempo pointed past him. "I share the next class with my sister. I need to be there."

"I was, uh..." The stallion rubbed one arm with the other hoof. "I'm in that class too."

She thought back. Yes, she'd seen him before. "And?"

"I was hoping for some help." He smiled with that hope. "You seem to understand it really well, um... If you have time?"

Tempo considered that. "You could... join our study sessions."

"Yes! Please? That'd be great." He did a little canter in place. "You're the best!"

"You are..." She rolled her hoof at him, waiting for his name.

The stallion blinked in surprise before chuckling. "Oh right, guess I got ahead of myself there! I'm Prince Blueblood - we have Magic History together."

He smiled winningly and Tempo faintly placed the brash, charismatic colt who often dominated class discussions, albeit not always accurately. She tilted her head as he prattled on eagerly.

"So yes, I could definitely use some help before finals. All the study groups I try to join tend to just turn into social hour." He laughed. "Not that I mind too much! But the exam is going to be brutal..."

He trailed off hopefully and Tempo considered for a moment. An opportunistic social climber he might have been, but an extra study partner could prove helpful...

"Very well, Prince Blueblood," she decided. "You may join our group..."

But perhaps it was destiny itself that neither mare noticed the attentions of the stallion chasing after their heart.

Tempo proved to be a harsh teacher. Cadance was her beloved sister, so she was gentle as a habit, to her. Blueblood had no such protection. She barked at him each time he got something wrong if she had told him better before. "Are you paying attention?"

She leveled a hoof at him accusingly. "Sometimes, I am uncertain. We went over that yesterday, and a week before that. Now, I give you a chance." She settled to her haunches. "Tell me the answer. I know you are aware of it."

"I say..." He glanced aside at Cadance, not being so grilled. "She is... demanding." He cleared his throat though and frowned with thought. That he got it right seemed clear, as her yelling eased.

She went right on to the next topic. For as harsh as she was, she was just as eager to compliment her students when they got something right, especially when they surprised her.

Cadance leaned in towards her tutor. "Don't be so mean to him," she whispered.

"Mean?!" Tempo was not quiet. "I'm not being mean. He asked me to help him. I'm helping. His grades have been steadily improving."

Blueblood chuckled softly. "I can't argue that, madame, but you are a little, shall we say, prickly?"

"Just a little." Cadance held her hooves close.

"Because he doesn't listen otherwise." She focused on Blueblood. "Why are you looking at us? That page doesn't look completed."

He squeaked, returning to his work. "Yes, ma'am."

Cadance laughed in gentle musical notes. "Sister, how did you tame him? Prince Blueblood is renouned for being a pain in every back end he's run into."

"Hey."

"Back to work." Tempo glared at him the moment before he resumed the classwork. "He seems entirely reasonable, if in need of a guiding hoof. He has good taste. That's why he's here."

Cadance's laughter only raised in volume. "Sister!" She threw an arm over Tempo, hugging. "Sister... That was so prideful, I'm dying."

"Was it?" Tempo flipped an ear back. "I'm sorry?"

"Don't be." She shoved Tempo gently. "I love it. You're really growing into your own pony, and I'm entirely behind that." She folded her arms. "And I like this Blueblood. Not like the bratty colt that spilled a drink in my mane."

Blueblood colored sharply. "Ma'am! That was... We were very young at that time, before... um, Tempo."

Cadance waved it off. "I'm not angry anymore, and you're much better now. Look at us, all in the same room and I don't want to hurt you."

Blueblood squeaked. "You wanted to hurt me?!"

"I'm joking." Cadance leaned in with a smirk. "I would leave that to Tempo, if it came to it."

Tempo watched the easy back-and-forth between her sister and their study partner, still getting used to Cadance's mature playful side emerging as she grew older. There was a warmth there she hadn't expected.

"I suppose Prince Blueblood has proven himself an apt pupil, if still needing firm guidance," Tempo remarked. She eyed the stallion critically. "But be assured, one hoof out of line around my sister..."

She left the threat dangling, horn glinting. Blueblood gulped audibly, nodding so hard his expertly coiffed mane bobbed.

Cadance just laughed again though, gently bumping Tempo's shoulder. "Oh I don't think we'll have any worries there! Why, I think his manners have quite improved thanks to a certain strict tutor..."

She grinned impishly at Blueblood and he managed a shy smile back beneath Tempo's harsh gaze. Tempo blinked in surprise - when had these two grown so familiar without her noticing? Still, she was glad to see Cadance coming into her own confidence.

"Yes well, I suppose I can restrain from turning him into a toad...for today," Tempo allowed. "Now! Back to memorizing important unicorn innovations of the classical era."

She levitated their hefty history textbook over, letting it thump heavily onto the table before them. Blueblood sighed, but it sounded more playful than the exasperated huffs she'd initially elicit from him.

Cadance caught Tempo's eye, giving her a little grin and wink. Despite herself, Tempo had to fight back an answering smile.

---

Surprises only kept coming in school. Just when Tempo felt she had things worked out nicely, things changed.

Cadance burst into their room, giggling. "I have a boyfriend," she sang, dancing in place. "He's such an adorable little nerd! I love him so much." She hugged herself with happy little sighs. "Oh."

She stood up. "You might now know him. He's a little quiet outside of his little clique. Shining Armor? Cutie mark of a shield?"

Tempo tensed. That colt?! She had lowered her guard for just a moment, it felt, she let that pony just walk past her...

"You know him?!" Cadance had picked up some part of Tempo's surprised reaction. "Great! I hope you two will get along, because expect to see him around here more often."

Tempo forced a mechanical-sounded laugh. "Of course..." She rubbed her cheek softly. "You already have a pony you love."

"I have many." She began tapping her hooves as she counted, "You, Auntie, some of the wonderful ponies that help us around the castle, our dearest friends... Why?"

Tempo frowned softly. "I... Celestia is very dear to me, but none have the same spot as you, Sister. You are the one I love."

Cadance blinked, crashing to her haunches. "Oh... Tempo... Dear Tempo." She reached a hoof, running slowly over Tempo's cheek. "You are my sister. The connection we share will never be replaced."

"So you don't need new ponies to love?" She looked so hopeful, eyes glimmering.

"That isn't what I said." Cadance headbutted Tempo gently, horns jostling. "They are different kinds of love. Tempo, please... Help me. I need your support. This is a new step for me, and I want to take with you. Will you protect me?"

Tempo let out a sigh, despite not breathing. "I will always protect you."

As if that was ever in question.

Author's Note:

They're growing! More bumps are on the road for Tempo. I bet you can guess at least one of them. 13/14

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Comments

[Feynna]

Tempo's cluelessness is somewhat amusing, though I feel like it's a bit odd that she jumps to the complete opposite conclusion of the colt's infatuation. Unless she suspects everyone is a stalker at that school.

...which, to be fair, as the protective sister, I'd probably act the same way, knowing fully well their intentions.

[RandomCommentor]

The morality and complexity of love is a very difficult thing to grasp.
Its like time travel, if you think you understand it then you clearly do not.

[Chrome Masquerade]

Blueblood chuckled softly. "I can't argue that, madame, but you are a little, shall we say, prickly?"

How about blunt? Abrasive? Forceful? Overbearing?

[Chrome Masquerade]

Cadance blinked, crashing to her haunches. "Oh... Tempo... Dear Tempo." She reached a hoof, running slowly over Tempo's cheek. "You are my sister. The connection we share will never be replaced."

[StarzGecko]

Tempo and Blueblood? Not bad idea him having a tough relationship would make sense to improve him to become the favorite nephew of Celestia.

[Luckyfanisaac]

it felt, she she let that pony just walk past her...

[tsaukpaetra]

Admittedly the surface level interactions of an infatuated versus a serial killer are essentially the same....