As The Sun Sets

by Noobblue

You ever wonder if the legitimacy of the crown is based off of anything other than the ponies who have just been around the longest?

Cadance didn't sleep that night. She just went back to her room and tried to nap until the Celestia rose the sun.

Her thoughts swirled until then, desperately trying to come up with some kind of plan. Shining was right, she knew, Dusk couldn't just be left unchecked.

I also need to talk to Shining about punching Dusk.

Cadance frowned under the sheets

He really needs to work out his... unrealistic anger against Dusk

She looked over at her husband and smiled.

You're lucky you're so handsome

She placed a smooch on his sleeping head and rolled out of bed...

Again.

I wish I could have done more for Twilight, but for now, I've got to tame the monster that is my mane

and indeed it was, as she entered the bathroom attached to their suite, she was greeted with herself in a right state.

Her mane was completely tangled, everywhere. What was normally a smooth set of maroon, gold, and purple strands of mane was currently a solid muted pink if you looked at it from a distance. Up close it looked even worse, as it does when you observe yourself. Not to mention the burnt ends.

Cadance levitated several brushes and scissors into the air with a look of power on her face.

"Alright MANE. Prepare yourself for a styling"

Songs were written about what followed. Unfortunately, this is not the singing kind of story.

---

"Good morning Cady" Shining entered with a yawn

Cadance had just exited their standing shower, and was drying her freshly trimmed self.

Shining picked up his brushes and started straightening up his mane and fur, while simultaneously brushing his teeth with his eyes closed.

Cadance smirked and waited after leaving the towel draped over her wings.

Shining eventually spotted his wife in the mirror and promptly spat out the toothpaste in his mouth, his eyes bugged out and as he recovered he spoke, "Cadance! You!"

She tossed her mane

"What do you think? I heard that shorter manes are in this season."

Cadance's mane was cropped at the sides where it had burned, and the rest was sat in a double prench braid that wrapped around her neck, with the ends gently resting on her chest. The colours were separated, and lined the top in a 'Cadance's mane colours' rainbow. There was a bit hanging out from the front that curled over her forehead, and cushioned the space around her horn with colour. Her tail was wrapped in a relatively simple bun with a decorative hair clip running through it. Her fur was still a bit burnt around the edges, but what can you do.

Shining could blubber, which he did.

"I take it you like it then."

He shook his head, "I'm honestly more impressed with your skill, that's some incredible work."

She bumped his flank, "Finish your teeth and I'll give you a smooch."

Shining did that, and smooches were had.

On their way out of the bathroom, they started talking. They always woke up an hour or so early before their respective duties so they could talk and/or discuss anything important or not.

"So last night."

Shining shook his head, "Cadance, I don't even know what happened last night."

Shining looked like he had more to say, and he did, "Regardless, we're going to be doing damage control all day, I didn't even hear from you what happened. Just the bits I pieced together."

Cadance and him sat on their favorite floor cushions, "Then let me do that."

Shining nodded, and Cadance spoke, "On my way to bed, I got a letter from dusk with... Some kind of spell, similar to the one Spike uses."

At that point, Cadance had somepony retrieve the paper in question and levitated it over from a standing desk to Shining, he took it from her magic, and unrolled it with his hooves.

"Cultists, yeah I got that part." He kept reading, "He... Asked you to..."

"He asked me if he could use magic to deal with them, since he promised me he wouldn't use magic on ponies without telling me."

"When did he do that?"

"The night we met"

Shining rose an eyebrow

"The night me and Dusk meant I mean."

Shining folded up the letter again, and put it on the desk, "Alright, so same page. Dusk asked you if he could deal with a bunch of Sombra's cultists, and you called the guards to go track them down with you."

Cadance nodded.

"And that's how it all shook out, I got the rest from the ponies themselves."

Shining looked tired.

"Twilight was here again last night."

"Wait really? And she didn't say hello?"

Cadance frowned, "There was more to what she wanted to say after she talked to Discord, or rather, Discord came to her, and issued a warning to deliver to us."

"About Dusk no doubt."

"Discord, and don't quote me on this, claimed that Dusk was a pony to be reckoned with back in the day, capable of properly fighting him."

Shining's frown turned into an unamused straight line, "So just about as bad as the worse case scenario."

Cadance rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah. Pretty much."

"You know what."

Cadance leaned in

"Let's forget about Dusk right now."

"What?"

"You said it perfectly. 'What are we going to do'? As much as I'd like to punch that stupid grin off that pony's face again, we have problems we can deal with, and problems that we can't touch."

"Why did you hit Dusk last night?" She asked

Shining went a bit still, and turned to look away, his turn to look abashed, "I don't know. I guess the stress got the better of me."

"So problems?"

Shining leaned back straight, "Well let's list it, the physical damage is bound to bring in some false insurance claims today."

"I'll have Amber send out a letter to pin the construction company on anything that comes up."

Cadance used her levitation to pull a parchment and quill and started writing a note for Amber.

Shining nodded, "Good, easy fix."

"What's next?" Cadance looked up from the paper.

"We're going to have to sort out the criminal charges."

"Can't the guard do that?"

Shining shook his head, "Not because you were involved, and a technical Noble, and the unique circumstances."

"I'll ask Amber to pull the paperwork and schedule a hearing. We can go over it tonight."

"Then we've got the news, and civilians asking questions about what happened."

Cadance nibbled on the tip of the quill, "Do you think we should do a public announcement?"

"No, it's definitely too late for that." Shining tilted his head, looking at nothing, "We could write out a GA to the patrol guards; spread the details that way."

"What do you think about waiting and just answering questions as they come?"

Before Shining could respond, there was a knock on their door. It was Amber, she always knocked the same way.

Cadance magicked the door open, and Amber stumbled in with a frazzled mane and her trademark board in her hoof.

"Oh my gosh, Amber." and "You look like you got into a fight with a bugbear." rang out from the too royals as Amber took a step into the room.

"Worse your highnesses, nobles."

"Crap" aptly said Shining

"What do they want?" Asked Cadance

Amber sat on a cushion next to Cadance, "The nobles are in an uproar, at least half are actually upset, but the rest are just pushing because they want to know what's going on."

Amber looked like she didn't want to say what was next, "One house accusing us of harboring dark magic users. Another is demanding the crown pay reparations for burning down their mansion."

Ah... that's what it was

Shining spoke, "Lemme guess, Facet and Cut Houses?"

Amber nodded.

"What's happening now?"

Amber looked afraid, "All of the nobles are gathered in the Spire's third meeting room demanding your presence, and a statement."

Shining and Cadance blanched before Shining lifted his hoof, "Wait, all the nobles?"

Amber blinked and lifted a paper on her clipboard and read a couple of names before looking back to Shining, "Yes?" She said confusedly.

Shining flicked his eyes from Amber to Cadance.

Cadance smirked, "Perfect. Amber, how quickly can you get as many civilian reporters into that room as possible?"

"Cadance?"

"Give me twelve minutes"

"Go tell the nobles we'll be there in fifteen, and apologize on our behalf, quote the night's struggles. Go."

Amber nodded, and trotted off to the door, and left without another word. Cadance stood.

"I know that look honey, what's the plan" Shining was up with her the moment later.

"Put your armor on, we've got ten minutes." She levitated his armor from it's place on the other side of the room.

Shining obliged, "Plan?" he said, struggling with a strap

"Dusk is there."

"Yes?"

"Why would I need a plan?"

Shining paused his dressing and gave Cadance a 'what are you smoking' look.

"It doesn't matter what Dusk is there to do, he's going to humiliate any nobles to get whatever he wants. He's practically going to solve this problem for us. We just need to spin a public news announcement from 'Princess lets a noble use blood magic on a cultist' to 'nobles cause an uproar over a heroic crystal guard operation'"

Shining was visibly coming around to the idea of humiliating the nobles.

"So how do you want to do that?" Shining finished dressing himself and Cadance magicked a piece of paper and quill onto his chest.

"Write out an official guard report about the events of the night, we'll file it later, but I need something to read out."

Shining smiled, and took both in his telekinesis. "So the truth then, nice."

"I just have to find just the right moment to hit them with it, and hope Dusk plays his part in throwing them off."

"They'll lose all their steam and the Dusk will push them into doing something to help spin the debacle."

Cadance, still grinning like a loon quickly gave herself a once over in the mirror, levitating her regalia over to herself.

Shining tapped the paper with the quill and levitated it over to Cadance. She stuffed it in her magic and leveled out her crown, "Ready?" She asked

"Ready."

"Just one thing after another right?"

Shining nuzzled into Cadance's cheek as they met in front of their door, he matched her smile, "Can't stop, Won't stop."

---

The meeting room was large as far as meeting rooms goes. A long table filled with nobles was pushed to one end of the room, Amber had turned the other half of the room into press release seating and managed to get two throne like chairs setup in front of both with a fold out crystal table.

That mare needs a raise

Upon entering the room, Cadance was assailed by several of the nobles requesting her attention. Luckily, she got to ignore them until she was seated because of the equal shouting from the press reporters, equally vying for her attention. Her and Shining strode through the center of the room and quickly took their places, Amber stood on Cadance's right, and Shining to her left as she looked on at all of the gathered ponies.

Quick Silver was sitting in the back of the room, at the furthest corner pointed outwards.

Likely so he can see the whole room

Cadance lifted a hoof, and the room quieted down, but right at the tail end, she caught

"-just what were you thinking!" from Stone Cut, the assumed representative of the Noble House Cut

Cadance pulled her most authoritative voice she could muster, "The only thought I had in mind was the safety of my ponies Stone Cut."

Nailed it

Shining tapped her under the table in support.

Stone Cut, a blue crystal stallion with the cutie mark of a wide chisel quickly rephrased, "My apologies princess, I was referring to the dangerous ponies who set my mansion aflame."

Shining pipped up, "The Cultists you mean?"

"Prince, Prince! Are you confirming that there were in fact dark magic users worshiping Sombra located last night!?" A news reporter said off from the side.

There was a short uproar, before Shining used a quick spell to amplify his voice, "Absolutely" Which cut through the chatter easily, and he continued, "Last night, they were equally located, and apprehended."

"Princess! Princess!" One of the reporters called from the side, she looked at them to have them ask their question, giving her time to ignore the nobles, "Is it true you yourself engaged with the cultists?"

"It is true that I lead the charge to the place the criminals were apprehended, and was one of two ponies to enter the building while it was burning."

"I believe I can take it from here." Silver interject from the back, heads turned to face Silver, and there was muttering from the reporters, and one take of 'you!' from one of the nobles.

"Last night, I recognized the telltale signs of dark magic in use, and immediately sent a letter to the Princess to alert her."

Gasps filled the room, and a report cut through the chatter at just the right moment, "Wait! You were the first on the scene! The ash pony!"

The chatter erupted, and Cadance took over with the RCV, "That is Quick Silver of The Noble House of Silvers." Cadance's shattering of the crowd's momentum gave Silver a chance to speak and take back control of the conversation.

"After I sent the letter, I broke into the building and stunned several of the cultists on the interior before their leader, a unicorn mare named Point Flare, began igniting the building to fight me off, and similarly to hide the evidence of their actions."

Several reporters began trying to speak, but Cadance stood and flared her wings.

The nobles are in a verbal mire

"After I fought Point Flare and her cohorts into the basement, I found Cadance on the ground floor, turning the ponies to stone to protect them from the flames. I directed her to where the most injured ponies were, and re-engaged with Point Flare."

A crystal noble mare stood, and several the reporters practically screamed. Immaculate Gemstone, of the House of Gems, a well dressed earth toned crystal pony spoke, "Are we really meant to believe you took on several dark magic wielding cultists in a flaming building on your own?"

Quick Silver merely nodded, "If you need evidence of my skill, look no further than the duel I was recently forced to fight, Prince Shining Armor can validate my claims as a warrior." Quick Silver gestured to the pony in question, who was nodding slowly, "I also worked in the Manehatten minute mares for two years, to lay further evidence for your query."

Immaculate sat back down, satisfied, everypony turned to Quick Silver as she continued, "In our fight, Point Flare ruptured her horn using dark magic, which caused the building to collapse, Her Highness Princess Cadance, however, cast a spell to protect the ponies inside, and hold the building in place. I dragged the remaining petrified ponies out of the structure, and met with the guards that were outside, where we quickly engaged in saving the critically injured cultists."

The Facet mare, Slim Fitting stood, "Can you honestly call it meeting? Ponies said you burst through a crystal wall, half on fire, and melting into the wind. If I recall, the guard I asked told me they thought you were a cultist yourself."

"I absolutely call it meeting Fitting. Regardless of my state, or the concern it caused."

Another noble, a crystal mare by the name of Chance Reflection of the House of Mirrors spoke, "I'm sorry, you said you helped triage the injured ponies?"

"With blood magic"

The room erupted into chaos

Cadance unrolled Shining's fake report, and called out upon the room, "Silence!"

The room failed to quiet, and one voice took presidency, Fitting was shouting over the crowd, "You can't let another cultist go free!"

"In light of the facts" Cadance forcefully took hold of the energy in the room, "I deigned to pass judgment as soon as I could find Quick Silver." She lifted the report and began pretend reading a cliff notes version of what she was actually saying. "The official report claims that, 'While the use of blood magic was heinous, there is no doubt that it saved the life of the pony it was used on, in addition the practitioner was not only helpful, but instrumental in saving the lives of, and equally apprehending the criminals.'"

"Princess!-"

Cadance cut through the responses, "I was there. The report is accurate, Quick Silver used blood magic to save a pony's life, among the other good things they did there that night. That being said. Quick Silver, what justifies your use of blood magic on the Empire's land?"

All eyes turned to Quick Silver, who had opened a folder onto the table. "Why, my licensing your majesty."

"Licensing?!" exclaimed Stone Cut "What licensing! Let me see that!"

Quick Silver slid a laminated paper across the table to Cut, who ripped it off the table and began furiously reading over it.

The fact that Cut didn't immediately refute the paper implied something great, and the reporters all quieted as they began scribbling in their flipbooks.

"Licensing to practice blood magic? That's preposterous?"

Amber spoke up from the side, but was interrupted by cut.

"This is legitimate," He said with a snarl as he placed the paper on the table with a thump, "It's a license to practice blood magic, issued by the Royal School of Canterlot Studies, signed H.R.H. Princess Luna of Equestria."

"What!?" Slim fitting ripped the paper from Cut's hoof with her magic, and lifted it to her face.

As she was reading, Immaculate turned to Quick Silver, "Quite a resume you have."

Quick Silver responded back, just as slyly, "Some would say almost too impressive to be believable."

"Indeed"

"This is for study! And is listed for Canterlot! This isn't valid here!"

Amber took the opportunity to interject, "Actually, because of the length of Madam Silver's residency, her paperwork should be valid."

"Ridiculous!"

Shining spoke, "Slim Fitting, please relinquish the evidence to the crown please."

In a moment, the paper came floating over to Shining, who looked it over, he passed it over to Cadance with a straight face. Cadance looked it over too. It was legit, a license to practice and use blood magic for the sake of research purposes in Equestria and it's territory, signed by Luna herself.

How did he get this?

"Amber?"

Amber, who was reading the document over Cadance's shoulder nodded, "I can indeed verify that this document would legalize the use of blood magic by one Quick Silver, for the sake of research purposes."

"For research purposes! Exactly!"

A reporter called out exactly what Cadance was hopping for, "Quick Silver, how can you still justify using blood magic on a pony?"

Quick Silver, still standing smiled and lifted her nose, "Easily." The room waited her response, and yet there was none, Silver merely sat back into her seat.

"Well?" Said Cane Sugar a yellow hued, blue maned crystal stallion from the Noble House of Agriculture. His name and cutie mark were identical.

"Well what?"

"Explain yourself damnit!" Said Slim Fitting

Cadance cut of Quick Silver's response, "Contain yourself Slim Fitting, or I will have you removed."

"Princess! You can't seriously be defending this monster!"

Cadance flared her wings once more as she thought of Twilight, "I actually am." Several glances passed between the nobles, and the reporters chatter increased three fold, she saw Silver smile and gesture with a 'go ahead'

"As mentioned, I was present. I saw the injuries that were sustained by the cultists in question." She looked around the room, "Shall I describe the nature of a blown horn? Or is the nature of such an injury so understandable that I don't need to?"

Shining spoke in an even tone. "Imagine having your hooves removed at your fetlock by a saw, or your wings ripped out by your primaries."

Many ponies in the room cringed. Cadance continued, "What would you do? If you had the knowledge and power to save a life?"

None of the nobles spoke, and the reporters busied themselves.

"In light of Silver's license, and the situational evidence and the experience" She glared across the room at Silver, "I am going to levy a hefty fine, for disrupting the peace, and public usage of dangerous magics"

Several nobles immediately began protesting. However, Cadance noticed that the smarter ones who were verbally attacking Silver merely sat back and frowned, realizing that they were fighting a losing battle.

"I also want to personally thank Quick Silver for her heroic actions in alerting the crown, and personally risking life and limb to save lives."

The reporters erupted in questions again as the nobles reeled.

One question pushed through the crowd, "Princess! How can you thank a practitioner of black magics!"

Cadance smiled a Cheshire grin. "Easily."

There were several laughs and Shining himself snorted.

Stone Cut rose from his seat, "Princess, I have to say, this entire thing is incredibly suspicious, a practitioner of blood magic just appeared at the right time to capture and fight six cultists?"

Silvers voice cut through the noise of the room with an aggressive tone, and Cadance noted, a bit of magic.

"I find you quite suspicious indeed Stone Cut."

Cut opened his mouth, but the same waft of magic spread from Quick Silver and she continued,

"I find it strange that Point Flare was not only crafting a complex, and days long ritual in your mansion, but equally so, that Point Flare has been employed as a maid in said mansion for nearly a month."

Stone Cut stomped his hoof, "What exactly are you insinuating!"

Silver rolled her eyes, "I am very clearly insinuating that you are a traitor to the crown of the Crystal Empire."

"How dare you! Upstart!"

Cadance tried to maintain control, but even her RCV couldn't cut through the outrage, Cut was held in place by the noble next to him, and the reporters were nearly bursting at the seems.

There was a blast of magic that filled the room with a light pink energy, and Shining shouted in the crowd, "There will be order in this chamber, or I will happily turn this room into a prison cell."

Cut was still shouting, until Cadance silence him with a spell.

"Quick Silver, you are going to need proof to make such an accusation like that." She tried to sound like the Princess she was.

"Absolutely Princess." She gestured to the reporters, "What does the ground say? How many cultists were pulled from the burning home?"

Cadance looked to the reporters, Shining had glanced up to her in confusion.

A reporter spoke out, "Seven, uh, ma'am."

"Of course, seven." Silver turned back towards Cadance, "Princess, it's true that we pulled seven ponies from the home, yes?" Cadance nodded, "However, what nopony knows yet, and what I hope the Princess will forgive me for, is that one, of those seven ponies, was in fact, a hostage, who is currently in protective custody."

Shining spoke, "How does this relate to your accusation?"

"It's simple my Prince. There were seven ponies, one of which was not a cultist, however, nopony but me, and the the royalty in the room could have known that."

Cadance's mind went haywire as she connected the dots.

"So how did you know that I fought six cultists Stone Cut?"

Everypony in the room dropped into silence. Shining's brow furrowed. Cut tried to say something, but Cadance had yet to remove the silencing spell from him.

Cadance heard the sound of a pen hitting the ground as one of the reporters dropped it.

Cadance cut her spell.

"Princess! That accusation is simply preposterous! I heard from my servants, on their way in! They asked the ponies that saw the event all take place!"

Cadance evenly responded, "Your servants?"

Cut blanched, "My staff! Forgive my tounge your grace, I am quite understandably nervous! A slip! Nothing more!"

A static noise cut through Stone Cut's plea, "Are you sure we have to be doing this?"

Stone Cut's eyes went wide

"Listen Misty, we have to do what Stone Cut says if we want to stay hidden. He'll expose us otherwise."

The static cut out from the small puck shaped gemstone that Silver had slid onto the table. "I also have that."

Stone Cut made a break for it, only to have his face slammed by a Shining's trademark shield spell.

Shining spoke, "Those were the voices of the cultists. Stone Cut, you are under arrest for an unreasonably large amount of things."

Stone Cut slammed his hooves against the shield, but was silent. In the next moment, he was teleported away. The nobles were silent, the reporters may as well have been gone.

"If anypony else has something to add, then do so now. Otherwise, this meeting is adjourned. Me and my wife suddenly have a lot of work to do."

"I actually would like to say that my company has recently set roots down in the Empire, and our first major trade deal just went through with Hoof Take industries." Said Quick Silver

Several of the reporters seemed to like that, and Quick Silver began gathering her papers and her folder, and then began to leave. Shortly after came the rest of the nobles, followed in mix by the reporters.

The door closed.

"That went well." Amber said

Shining fell forward onto the table.

Cadance pat his head, "At least it's over"

"Actually." There was a shimmer from the corner table to reveal Quick Silver.

"Uh oh." said Amber again.

Quick Silver got up from her seat, and approached the table. Shining, now sitting up, and on guard, called out to Silver as she approached. "Stay where you are Dusk Swirl."

Silver ignored him and approached the table.

"You two owe me a favor."

"What?" Said Shining, incredulous. Cadance rested a hoof on his shoulder.

"I just took a stab wound on the eyes for you. That easily could have been 'pony found dead with traces of dark magic' as Sombra returns to power. Resurrections spells aren't cheap, and it cost me a lot to stay alive, plus disrupt the magic. That Point Flare girl really packs a punch."

"Girl?" Cadance tilted her head.

Silver glared at her.

"I'm sorry, w-what is happening?" Amber was trying to hide behind Cadance. Cadance looked back at Amber with surprise, Amber looked nearly ready to run. Her clipboard was shaking in her grip.

"Don't worry little one, just some transaction details between immortals."

Cadance looked back at Silver, and furrowed her brow.

"What favor."

"Cadance!" Shining hissed

"Magic."

"What?"

"Ever since Twilight flaked on me, I've not been able to make magic on a large scale, all the magic I have, I have to make manually." Silver gestured downwards at themselves, "This body is nearly out. I'm basically running on whatever tools I had left in my stashes."

"So... You need power?"

Shining's ears twisted forwards, "What he's saying is he's vulnerable." Shining's horn lit

"Try me, mortal." Silver spat on the table in front of Shining

Cadance pre-emptively pressed her hoof down on Shining's shoulder, and pushed him back into his seat. She calmly shook her head at him.

He grimaced.

"What power do you think I have to give you?"

"Alicorn Memories."

"I'm sorry?"

"I want several of your memories."

Shining snorted, "I've never heard anything so clearly evil."

Silver smirked, "Alicorn minds have a peculiar magio-psyche-magnetic wavelength that I can take advantage of as a fuel to start my more important machines. Memories themselves, if harvested correctly, are far more magically stable; they can be used longer."

"You are not harvesting my wife's mind for fuel"

"I wasn't asking you boy."

Cadance shook her head, "You're not taking my memories."

"Why not?"

Cadance shook her head in irritation, "Because it's wrong, and I said so!"

"Damn. Okay." Silver turned and began to leave.

Shining's eyes bulged from his head, and his face began turning red.

Amber shook behind her.

Cadance had a idea. A wild, stupid idea.

She leapt over the table, and cantered up to Silver, who stopped and turned around with a raised eyebrow.

"How about we go out for a drink instead?" She tried, her entire hind brain violently cringing as she felt Shining froth behind her, and swore she heard Amber faint.