> Mother Celestia
>  by jl7895
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a storm like no other. Really, the pegasi had outdone themselves. There is only one problem.

"I'm sorry, princess," said one of the royal guards escorting Princess Celestia from Las Pegasus to Canterlot, "but the storm is too dangerous for us to fly through." She went to Las Pegasus as a special guest for an Equestria's Strongest Pony competition. While she enjoyed the entertainment, she had other pressing matters to attend to back in Canterlot.

"That's quite alright." The white alicorn was sitting on a wicker chair in her VIP room. She was stranded in Ponyville for the time being, but she didn't mind. She was a good princess, and a good princess should love whatever city she is in. However, she did enjoy staying in Ponyville a little bit more than any other city. It was mainly because they focused more on comfort.

Celestia decided to turn in early that night. She put on her pajamas, turned all the lights, and climbed into her bed. She easily made herself comfortable and fell asleep.

Usually, nothing could wake Celestia, but for some reason, she jolted awake. She wasn't breathing heavy and she didn't have a nightmare. There was just something that forced her awake. She looked out the window and saw something strange. Normally, it's a beautiful view of half of Ponyville and most of the forest with the sky very dimly lit by fireflies. This time, however, there was a bright light emitting form the forest. Celestia knew that something strange had to be going on. At first she thought that it was probably nothing, just a unicorn trying to find their way out, but there was a chance that it was something that needed to be looked into. She couldn't bare to think that somepony was out there on this stormy night.

Celestia put on her dress and slipped out of her room. The guards standing at her door fell asleep, but she couldn't blame them. Usually, they would be chewed out and probably fired for something like this, but she was willing to let it slide. She put a spell over herself to make sure she would stay dry and then made her way to the forest. 

The deeper the alicorn went into the forest, the darker it became. She used her horn to help her make her way through the dense forest and the darkness. As if it was a bullet, the cries of a small colt hit her. "Mommy! Mommy!" Each cry broke her heart every single time she heard it. Each cry only made her run faster to the child. When it seemed to be the darkest, and she feared that she lost the child, she found him. It was a small golden colored colt. He was curled into a ball, crying, and only softly saying one word. "Mommy..."  
> Chapter 1: Mommy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't remember much. If I could, I would tell you my name or where I'm from, if I could remember. The worst part is that I can't even tell you who my parents are. I wish I could, I really do, but I can't. That really scares me. I can't even remember the one mare in the entire world that loves more than any pony else. It makes me cry every single time I think of it. I can tell you two things: I am four years old and I am very, very scared.

I found myself lost in a forest. I don't remember why I started, but I'm running. It might have been the thunder that came from every direction. It might have been the scary faces I see on the trees everywhere I go. It might just be the idea of being trapped in a storm. Whatever the reason may be, I'm running for my life, and I'm not going to stop until this forest is miles away. The only problem is the darkness. No matter where I go, no matter which way I turned, there was the darkness. I ran into it for only five seconds, and I was lost. I couldn't tell left from right. I couldn't even see my own hand in front of my face.

I ran in every direction possible, but I couldn't find a way out. Everything scared me. The thunder, the twisted trees, and the darkness. The darkness was the worst. Everywhere I ran, it followed. No matter how fast or in what direction, it was there. I ran for miles and miles. I tried to make as much noise as possible, but there was only one thing I could really do: stomp. My hope was that the sound of my hoof hitting the floor as hard as I could, some pony would hear me. My hopes were dashed when I tripped. I turned to my back and I saw that it was too late, the darkness had already engulfed me. I curled up into a ball and started crying. I cried out for my mother, but there was no response. "Mommy! Mommy!" Every cry was ignored, until she came.

I gave up hope and just cried. There was nothing else I could do, but roll up in a ball, close my eyes, and cry. I don't know how long I was there, but it felt like hours. The worst part was the occasional "Mommy" that would slip from my muzzle. Suddenly, the rain stopped. There was a faint golden glow, but I didn't want to open my eyes. I still cried and the occasional "Mommy" would slip out. I felt a hand petting my head trying to comfort me. I still didn't move or stop crying. The pony leaned down and whispered in my ear. Her voice was soft and delicate, but firm and authoritative at the same time.

"There, there," the voice said, "It's alright. You have nothing to fear anymore." The voice repeated this over and over until I stopped crying. I looked up and saw a beautiful white pegasus, but she had a horn that was glowing gold. The darkness was gone and it was because of her. I noticed that it was still raining, but her wings shielded me. "See, I told you that you have nothing to fear. Now, are you alright?"

I repositioned myself so I was sitting on my hooves. I nodded my head, but then I thought about it and then shook my head. I started crying again. She started petting the back of my head and waited for me to stop.

"What's wrong?" she asked when I recomposed myself. I didn't say anything. I couldn't say anything, even if I wanted to. I was still scared. The trees still looked twisted and had scary faces. She noticed how much I was shaking and her horn started glowing brighter. Suddenly, the trees went back to normal. They no longer had faces, they just had bark. "There, now can you tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm scared," I told her with a quiver of fear in my voice.

"Well you're fine now. What's your name?"

"I-I don't remember."

"It's okay.  Do you know where you are?"

I shook my head.

"Okay. How old are you?"

I held up four fingers. I could barely talk. Even with her sweet and comforting voice, I was still afraid.

"Do you know who I am?"

I shook my head again.

"Alright, I'm going to take you to Ponyville. It's the closest town and I assume you're from there. I'm going to help you find your mommy."

"I don't know who my mommy is," I said as I started crying again. She looked at me and started to comfort me again.

"I'm still going to take you to Ponyville. Somepony has to be taking care of you."

She helped me to my hooves and offered her hand. I took it and we started to walk out of the forest. Everything was different on our way out. The trees looked like they were begging to be climbed, there were sounds of birds chirping and animals playing, the sun was bursting through the trees. Everything scary about this forest was gone. I looked up at the winged unicorn and she was smiling. It made me feel like everything in the world was good. That while she was smiling, there was no evil in the world. When she smiles, all the darkness goes away. It made me smile too, which made her smile bigger.

We found our way out of the forest and I saw Ponyville. There were ponies going in and out of every store and were on every street. I thought it was amazing and beautiful and big. I must have dragged my jaw the entire time I was walking with the winged unicorn.

As we walked along, the ponies in the streets were bowing to us. I was a little confused as to why, I mean she's just another pony, so what if she was born with both wings and a horn.

"Miss," I said as I looked up to her, "Why are they bowing?"

"Well, it's because..." She was interrupted by two white pegasi wearing armor and a chariot strapped to both of their backs.

"Princess Celestia," one of them said "We need to get you back to Canterlot."

I was shocked that a princess would even take the time to save me, but also help me find my mommy. I was honored that she would take the time out of her busy day.

"Miss, you didn't tell me you are a princess."

She leaned down to talk to me eye to eye "It doesn't matter little one. When you show kindness and compassion, it should come from the kindness of your heart and not because you have to." She stood back up to address the entire crowd. "Is there anypony who knows this colt's name?"

There was no response. Some of the ponies even started examining me closer. I got scared and started to hide behind Princess Celestia's leg. 

"Does anypony know who takes care of orphan ponies?"

Again, there was no response.

"Princess," said the other guard, "We need to go now."

"I'm sorry, my little pony, but your mother isn't here. Maybe we’ll have better luck in Canterlot."

The princess picked me up and stepped onto the chariot. The pegasi took off carrying us with them. As they flew further and further away from Ponyville, my hopes of finding my mommy grew more and more. I think Princess Celestia knew this and she gave me a pat on the back to try and reassure me.

> Chapter 2: Canterlot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flying above Equestria was stunning. The green fields, the dense forests, and the roaring rivers. The most beautiful thing was the waterfall outside Canterlot. There was something about it that captured my attention and I didn’t look away for the rest of the ride. Every time the water hit a rock, it would splash off and make a rainbow. My eyes followed the rainbows as they seemed to dance up and down the water. 

I looked back and started watching Princess Celestia’s mane. It too was dancing, but it used the wind instead of rocks. It looked beautiful as she just stood there, watching the scenery. There were only four colors, light blue, light green, blue, and lavender, but they moved as gracefully as the rainbows. It sparkled too, which added more magic to the entire thing, but that only happened because the sun was shining through it. I followed her mane all the way up to her head and saw her smiling as we approached Canterlot.

Ponyville was massive when I first saw it. Buildings that towered over me and seemed to touch the sky, ponies that had to sit down to talk to me, trees that would take five whole minutes to climb. Now, that I’m here in Canterlot, everything in Ponyville seems so small. Buildings that looked like they had to move so the sun could pass, and that’s just the castle. One building in Canterlot looked like it could fit everypony in Ponyville and half of the ponies in Canterlot. Even Princess Celestia looked smaller compared to the buildings.

The chariot landed and Celestia picked me up again.

“Attention ponies of Canterlot,” she said as we stepped off the chariot, “Does anypony know this young colt?”

“What’s his name?” a mare shouted from the crowd.

Princess Celestia didn't answer at first. She just looked at me, studied me. She was looking at every part of me. My golden coat and horn, my copper mane, and my silver eyes. She looked into my eyes the longest, as if she was looking for something.

“Golden Shield” she finally responded. 

Just like in Ponyville there was no response.

“Is there anypony who can…”

“Princess,” said one of the guards, now free from the chariot’s harness, “We don’t have time for this. There are more pressing matters to attend to.”

Princess Celestia sighed and put me down. “Come along Golden, we’ll have to find you a home some other time.” 

She took my hand and started to lead me away from everypony. As we walked, more and more guards surrounded us. At one point, we were surrounded by so many guards that I couldn't see where we were going. The guards started to go away as we approached the castle. The whole thing was white, except the roof, which was gold. The person who built it really knew what they were doing when they made this place. Every stone was perfectly carved to make the wall smooth. It looked as if the stones they used on the towers and pillars were actually curved. The inside was even more beautiful. High ceilings, fancy painting, and beautiful stain glass windows. I stood in the center of the room just taking it all in.

“Well, hello there,” said a guard who put his grey hand on my shoulder. He didn't look like the other guards. He was an earth pony and wearing purple armor. His voice was scrappy and sounded more like a stallion. “What’s your name?”

“Where is Princess Celestia?” I asked. I didn't realize that she let go of my hand and walked off. I started to feel the same fear I felt in the forest, only this time the tress and darkness were replaced with tall, mean looking ponies.

“It’s okay,” he said as he started to wipe away a tear from my eye. He sat down to talk to me at my level. “My name is Captain Iron Side, and the princess asked me to take you to a fun place.”

“Where is she? I want to see her.”

“She’s very busy right now and can’t look after you. I promise, when she’s done, you’ll see her again. Now can you tell me you name?”

“I don’t know my name,” I said to him as I hung my head. I also started to lower my voice, but it wasn’t something I could control; just something I do when I meet new ponies. I also had a tendency to cross my arms and hooves.

“Alright, I have an idea. Why don’t you tell me what to call you?” 

“Princess Celestia called me Golden Shield,” I said as I crossed my arms.

“Is that what you want me to call you?”

I nodded my head and looked up at him. He was older and it showed. His mane was snow white and his face showed his age. He had a big smile on his face, but it was nothing like Celestia’s. It made me grin, but I still couldn't get to a full smile.

“Alright, Golden Shield, I’m going to take you to a fun place. There’s already a little filly there playing, and she’s having a blast.” 

Captain Iron Side took my hand and started leading me down a hallway. He was a bit more firm than Princess Celestia, but he still understood that I was just a colt and he can’t be too hard. The hallway seemed to go on forever. He tried to ask me questions, but I couldn't remember the answer to any of them.

“Here we are,” he said as we came to a door.

“Wait,” He was about to open the door, but I stopped him, “Captain Iron Side, is this other pony nice?”

“Son, she’s the nicest filly I've ever met. Trust me, I've known her most of her life.” He opened the door to reveal a more colorful room. Each wall was painted with a colorful mixture of colors that spans creates one coherent picture. The floor was padded with what looked like puzzle pieces. It felt kind of nice under my hooves. There were toys and games all along the wall. And in the center of the room was a light pink filly. Like Princess Celestia, her mare was multi-colored, a cream white, dark pink, and a beautiful purple. It was all tied back in a ponytail, but she was able to keep the colors separate. Also like Princess Celestia, she had both wings and a unicorn horn. She was wearing a white, freshly washed dress. I realized that the overalls and shirt I was wearing was still dirty from the forest. She was playing with dolls when we entered.

“Captain Iron Side!” She ran up to him and started hugging his hip. She was only a little bit shorter than me, but I was still mesmerized by the room itself.

“Hey kid, how have you been?”

“Good. Are you here to play with me?”

“Sorry kid, but I have some work to do. I did bring a friend for you though. Golden Shield, I would like to introduce you to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Princess Celestia’s niece.”

“Please,” she said with a curtsy, “Call me Cadence.” Her voice was so sweet and inviting. There was something in it that caused anyone listening to feel good about yourself. With every word she said, your faith and trust in her grew. I couldn't really figure out what it was about her. Maybe it was the way she looked at you or the firmness in her voice, but I liked it.

Captain Iron Side left the room and Cadence and I played. There wasn't a toy in that room that we didn't play with. We played tag until our hooves were sore and we exhausted any energy we had. And then we played some more. 

There was something about Cadence that made me feel happy. Any fear I had left over from the forest or the storm, was gone. Her kindness coupled with Princess Celestia’s compassion destroyed any trepidations I've ever had about Canterlot or Ponyville are gone. I was having too much fun to even think about what happened in the forest.

There was a clock in the room, but neither of us paid any attention to it until Princess Celestia walked into the room. I looked at the clock and noticed that it was the evening and the sun had to be setting by now. Cadence, like she did with Captain Iron Side, was hugging her hip. I decided to join in this time and hugged her too. She was here to take us to dinner. She said I had to get clean and change my clothes. A maid help me take a bath and then Princess Celestia led me to a bedroom.

Princess Celestia told me that I can sleep here as long as I stay in this castle. The room was big and beautiful. The walls were bare, but I liked the wallpaper already in place. There was extremely comfortable and there was a button up shirt, black pants, and a pair of dress cuffs. My favorite part of the room was the view from the window. I could see all of Canterlot from there. It all looked so beautiful with the golden sky. Some of the street lights came on giving it a faint glow, which made the city a little more beautiful.

The first thing I noticed when we entered the royal dining room was the number of ponies in there and just the size of it. It was filled with circular tables and each table had somewhere between five and eight ponies. Each of there were well dressed, from head to hooves. I knew that each pony held a status symbol of some sort. At the end of the room was a long white table with other ponies that looked as if they held a higher status. The center seat of that table was empty, which I assumed is where Princess Celestia sat. Behind that was a smaller table, but that one was empty.

I was in awe of this whole room. I barley even noticed that Princess Celestia and Cadence started walking towards the long table. I caught up to the both of them and followed them around the ponies. Only some of them noticed the two little foals that followed the princess. We reached the large table and Princess Celestia took her seat at the table. We were directed to sit at the smaller table, which Cadence called the foal table.

This was something Princess Celestia did a lot. She didn't like wasting all the space in this castle, so she would invite other ponies to fill the space.

“So, how did you meet Aunt Celestia?” Cadence asked me as we sat down.

“She found me in a forest.” It became clear that I was upset. Cadence grabbed my hand that was on the table. “She tried to find my mom in Ponyville, but we couldn't find her. She took me here and I met you.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, but at least one good thing came out of it. You made a new friend.”

Cadence and I talked the rest of the time we had at the table. There was nothing interesting really, just foal things. We were served daffodil and daisy sandwiches and cupcakes for desert. The ponies stayed for a while. They finally cleared out at about nine o’clock. Both Cadence and I were tired, so we asked Princess Celestia to take us to bed. She picked up the both of us and took us to our rooms. She dropped Cadence off first. Princess Celestia tucked her in and wished her a good night. She cared me to my room and tucked me in too.

“Princess Celestia,” I said before she left the room, “Do you really think that we’ll find my mommy.” She sat down next to me and started to pet my head.

“I do, Golden Shield.”

“Do you promise?”

“I promise that we’ll find your mother. Now go to sleep.” Princess Celestia put out all the lights and left me alone in my room.

My room was big and empty and dark… 

> Chapter 3: Nightmares
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The castle is full rooms, large and small, empty and full. There were dining rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and almost any other room you can think of. No matter what it was used for or how many copies there were, every room had one thing in common: they were engulfed by darkness every night. My room was no exception. The room was beautiful, but it also was large and empty. If there was one thing I learned from the forest is that the more space there is, the more room there is for the darkness. 

I had the advantage of my window facing Canterlot. Under the moon, Canterlot glowed with the street lights as some late night ponies still moved throughout the streets. The city itself acted as my nightlight, but it wasn't very strong. It was bright enough so I could at lease see my hand, but not enough to take away my fear. I wasn't afraid of the dark, I was afraid of not knowing. Darkness acts as the perfect veil for anything. 

I started to cower a bit under my blanket. I knew that I had to be brave to even get a wink of sleep. I started consecrate on my fear a started to think of ways to beat it. I didn't notice at first, but my horn started glowing gold. I took my head out from under the covers. My room was lit a bit more from my horn, but I wasn't controlling. It was if my horn was acting as my night light. I wasn't complaining. There was just enough light and I was just tired enough to fall asleep, even though there was a voice in my head telling me to stay awake.

In short term, I do regret not listening to it. That night had to be the second worst I've ever had. I didn't have any dreams that night, I had nightmares.

I was back in the forest, running again. There wasn't a storm or darkness this time, just twisted faces in the trees and clouds. This time it was the trees; they were uprooting themselves and chasing me. Lucky for me, they were slow and I thought that I could get out if I just kept running. The pure number of trees is what really scared me. No matter for how long or what direction, there was nothing but trees.

I found myself calling for my mom again, and just like last time, there was no response. I kept running out of fear and a small shimmer of hope that I would reach the edge of the forest. I tripped over one of the tree's roots and it wrapped around my hoof. I struggled to get free, but the more I moved, the tighter it held me. The trees were closing in around me. Each one had their own twisted and deformed face that came closer and closer. 

In real life, I was thrashing about in my bed, crying out that one familiar word. That one word that haunted me and made me cry so many times. The one word that led me to Canterlot. The one word that helped me get out of the forest and the one that I find myself in now. "Mommy!" I jolted up from my nightmare, but I was still crying and screaming that one word. Like a light at the end of a tunnel, Princess Celestia and Cadence were standing in the darkness. Their horns were glowing so they could see through the veil, but Princess Celestia's white night gown was enough. Both of them had concerned looks on their faces.

Princess Celestia told Cadence to go back to her room and try to go back to sleep. Without arguing, Cadence gave me a warm smile and left my room. Princess Celestia waited for her to leave and then sat on my bed side. She gave me a hug and hugged her back. Her hugs were magical. She was able to make you feel warm, happy, secure, and so many other feelings just by putting her arms around you. She made sure that you knew that you knew how bad or depressed you felt, there was always someone here for you.

"How much do you miss you mommy, Golden?" She asked me without breaking off.

"A lot, but I don't even remember what she looks like."

"That doesn't matter, what matters is that you know that she loves you and she is looking for you."

"Princess Celestia, can you please stay here tonight?"

She didn't say anything, just let me go. She started petting my head in her comforting way. She must have figured out that I liked this and her doing that helps me. I laid back down and tried to go back to sleep. Princess Celestia started to sing a lullaby. I don't remember the words, but I never really paid attention to the words at all. She could have been singing about how much she hates me. All I really needed was the sound of her voice. It was soothing and beautiful and I quickly fell asleep. I didn't have another nightmare. In fact, I don't even remember what I dreamed about.

When I woke up the next morning, Princess Celestia was sleeping in my bed. She had her arm over me and was holding me close to her. There was something about it that made me want to stay there. I decided to scoot closer to her and her grip got tighter. I smiled and started to go back to sleep, but then she woke up.

"Good morning, my little pony," Princess Celestia said as she got out of bed. I immediately jumped up and gave her a hug. I took her by surprise, as she pulled her hands away from me at first. When she realized what I was doing, she hugged back.

"Thank you, Princess Celestia," I said to her. I again felt all of her warmth and kindness in that one hug.

"You're welcome, now let's get you ready for today."

Princess Celestia sent a maid to buy clothes for me yesterday. She filled a closet with all types of clothes in my side. From jeans to slacks, T-shirts to button up shirts, hats to bow-ties, it was filled with clothes just for me. Princess Celestia picked out a plain black T-shirt and jeans. She took me to Cadence's room and told me to wait outside as she helped Cadence get dressed. While I was waiting, Captain Iron Side came walking down the hallway.

"Morning, Golden Shield," he said as he stopped to talk to me.

"Good morning, Captain Iron Side. Can I ask you something, sir?"

"You don't have to call me 'sir'. Now, what's on your mind?"

"How do you be brave?"

"Why do you want to know that? You're still just a little colt. You don't have to be brave yet."

"Because I had a nightmare last night and I got really scared. I've been scared for so long and I really don't like it. Please tell me your secret. Teach me how not to be afraid of anything."

"Alright kid, but I'm going to be honest with you, but you can't tell anypony. I'm afraid of a lot of things. So many things make me shake in fear, so do you want to know what I do? I tell myself that I'm not afraid of anything. I keep telling myself that until I believe it. One thing you have to learn is that fear is in your head. So next time you have a nightmare, act like you're not afraid."

"Is that it?"

"Yup, now if you excuse me, son, I have some work to do. See you around"

As Captain Iron Side left, Princess Celestia and Cadence came out of the room. Cadence came out wearing a light blue skirt and a white top. Princess Celestia took us to the gardens and told us to play out here today. She promised to come back and play with us later. She had to change and take care of some business.

It was a beautiful day to play outside. It was partly cloudy and there was a nice breeze. Cadence and I did so many things outside. We played tag, hide and go seek, kicked around a hoof-ball, the guards even let us go into the maze, but we didn't go that far in. We found a tree to rest under when we got tired.

"Where are your parents, Cadence?" I asked her while we laid under the tree

"In Fillydelpha."

"So, why are you here?"

"They wanted me to be here in Canterlot, but they couldn't move here. They asked Auntie Celestia if I could live with her and she said yes."

"Do you ever miss them?"

"Yeah, but they come up to Canterlot to visit. Enough about me.

We talked until Princess Celestia brought us lunch. After, she decided to take us out on the town and just walk around. When we returned, we had to get ready for dinner again. It was the same situation as before. I took a bath, put on some nice clothes, and waited for Princess Celestia to come and get me. The dining room was filled with different ponies, but there was roughly the same number. Cadence and I sat behind the main table. It was just the two of us again, so all we really did was talk about foal stuff. Princess Celestia took us to bed roughly the same time. She tucked us in and wished us a good night.

My room was still dark that night. My horn and the glow of Canterlot still only helped a little. I remembered what Captain Iron Side told me. 

"I'm not scared of anything. I' not scared of anything. I'm not scared of anything," I said to myself under my breath. Captain Iron Side was right. I went to sleep that night without any fears and I had no nightmares. This didn't always work. There were times when I repeated those five words over and over, but I still had a nightmare.

All my nightmares were basically the same. I was in the forest, being chased by something, I trip, and then it gets me. Every time I have a nightmare, I would again thrash about and scream for my mom. Every time, Princess Celestia was there to comfort me. She would always spend the night in my room.

This was my life for two years, well it was until the night the nightmares stopped.

It was just like all the other nightmares. This time I was running from darkness. In one moment, I head Captain Iron Side's advice. I turned around and looked straight at the oncoming darkness that towered over me. 

"I'm not afraid of you!" I shouted as my horn started to glow brighter than I've ever seen it before. Just as the darkness got me, a blast of magic came out of my horn. It cut straight through the darkness and it soon vanished.

I still thrashed about and called for my mom. As usual, Celestia was there to comfort me. This times was different though. This time I wasn't calling for my faceless mom, I was calling for my care taker, Celestia.

> Chapter 4: Mom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After that I defeated the darkness in my dreams, I never had a nightmare again. I stopped thrashing about and calling for my mom. I even stopped being afraid of the darkness in my room. There was one thing the made me a little sad. Because I wasn’t screaming in my sleep, Celestia stopped coming in my room at night. She doesn't sing me lullabies until I fall asleep. I don’t wake up to her holding onto me in her sleep. I miss that last one the most. For that moment that I’m awake and she’s just there sleeping and holding me, I felt the loving embrace only a mother could give. Sure, I don’t have a real point of reference, but it was just something that you know deep down.

It might be for the best thought. I’m six now and I don’t think I should be this attached to her. Especially now that I’m about to enter school. In Equestria, if you are six by the time the school year starts, you go into first grade. You go until twelfth grade and then that’s it. Now that Cadence and I are six, we’ll be attending Canterlot Elementary School. It’s where all the foals go if they didn't get accepted into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.

Cadence and I tried to have fun on our last day before school. Our favorite thing to do was to play outside, so that’s what we decided to do. We played all of our favorite games and ended the day under a tree.

“What do you think school’s going to be like?” Cadence asked me as we sat down.

“I’m not really sure. I just hope that we can still make friends.”

“Why wouldn't we be able to?”

“Because we live in a giant castle with the ruler of all of Equestria. Plus, you’re already a princess. Ponies might look at you different. Well there’s that and…” I looked at Cadence’s neck and how there was nothing there. Cadence figured out what I was looking at and she covered up the right part of neck with her hand.

“I didn't think of that, but I’m sure that they won’t ignore us because we live with Auntie Celestia and don’t have our cutie marks. Either way, I bet school is going to be fun.”

“Yeah, we finally get a chance to get out of the castle without the guards.”

Cadence and I didn't have any friends, only each other. When we go into Canterlot, Celestia or a royal guard is usually with us. You don’t know how young ponies react when they see you coming towards them with the ruler of the Equestria. The only real time we even met any other pony was at dinner.

Most of the time, parents would hire a foal-sitter while they have dinner in the castle. Every so often, Cadence and I would have a guest at the foal table. It was never really more than one filly or colt, and it was always somepony different, sometimes older and sometimes younger. Cadence and I tried to make them feel welcome and always tried to include them in our conversations. 

We accidently fell asleep under the tree while we were talking. I think she asked me a question and fell asleep before I could answer, and I fell asleep shortly after. Celestia woke us up and told us to wash up for dinner. 

When we entered the massive dining room, I noticed something, or should I say somepony. There was a white unicorn colt with a blue mane. He didn't look like he was having much fun, so Cadence and I wanted to change that.

“Hi, I’m Golden Shield,” I said as I took my seat. He didn't respond. All he did was look down at his empty plate. He didn't look up until he heard her voice.

“And, I’m Cadence.” He looked up and stared straight into her eyes. He probably felt the same thing I did when I first met her. It was a feeling of warmth and acceptance, kindness and comfort. It came from a loving place that only she and Celestia could come from. It made you feel accepted, no matter how alone you've been. It’s something that I've come to love about Cadence, and it’s something that I would always love.

“I’m Shining Armor,” he said as he shook our hands. He had a very firm and strong grip. After that we again talked for most of the night. We learned that he too was going start attending the same school we did. It made us happy and almost excited to start school. We quickly became friends as we continued to talk for the rest of the night. As the night ended, for the first time in a long time, Cadence and I made a new friend.

Like I said, Cadence is my only friend and I’m her’s. We tried making friends, but there was always something that caused people to avoid us as if we were sick. For the first time, in a very long time, we made a new friend. I would say that it’s a great feeling, but that would be an understatement. Both of us are glad that we found Shining Armor and out of every other pony that we met, he is the only one that stayed.

Princess Celestia took us to bed a bit earlier than normal. She wanted we wanted to make sure that we were well rested for tomorrow. She took Cadence to her room first, tucked her in and kissed her good night. When she finished, she carried me to my room, and tucked me in.

“Good Night my little pony. Sleep well,” She said before leaving my room.

“Princess Celestia, can I ask you something?” She was still standing at the door with her hand on the door knob.

“Can it wait for tomorrow?”

“No, I don’t think so. Please, I promise it’s important.”

“Alright, one question, but then I want you asleep.” She walked to my bedside and sat down. She was still in her beautiful white dress that she wore to dinner and in full make-up.

“Princess Celestia, will you be my mom?” There was a look of complete shock and disbelief on her face. There was a silence that neither of us wanted to break, but I knew one of us had to. She finally broke it.

“What about your real mother? She’s still out there. What happens when we find her?”

“Why can’t I have two moms?”

“You would be the only colt in your school with two moms, you know that right?”

“Yes, but you've taken care of me for two years now. I don’t know what it’s like to have a mother, so I had to make a guess. Everything you've done for me, from being there when I was crying to taking me out into the city, has been out of love and compassion. I've never told you this, but I always loved it when you slept in my bed with me. I loved waking up to you holding me close. Your hugs always made me feel warm and safe. It’s exactly what I thought a mom’s hug would feel like. I know this is a lot to ask from you, but I've thought this out and I feel like you've been a mom. Please Princess Celestia, you don’t have to call me your son, but please just let me call you my mom.”

Her eyes started to water, as did mine. Everything I said was from my heart and I think she knew it. There was a long silence again, but this one did not last as long. She again broke the silence, this time by kissing me on the forehead. She stood up and walked towards the door.

“Good night, my little son,” she said as she opened the door.

“Good night, mom.” I went to sleep with a giant smile on my face. I think it was the first time in a long time that I was able to sleep knowing that everything was going to be okay.

Princess Celestia woke me and Cadence up early the next morning and told us to wash up. She again called me her son, which made smile. When I got back from by bath I found that she had laid out my clothes for the day. A simple red V-neck shirt and tan pants. A maid escorted me and Cadence to a more personal dining room. Cadence was wearing a white dress, similar to the one she was wearing when we met, but tailored to accommodate for how much she grew.

We were served wheat pancakes and scrambled eggs. After, Princess Celestia brought us our backpacks with our lunches in them. While Cadence and I wanted to walk there ourselves, Celestia insisted on walking us there herself. Of course, we didn’t want her to, but she promised that it was going to be the only time all year she would. We still didn't want her to go, but we realized that if we let her do it just this once, we don’t have to deal with it again.

Canterlot Elementary School was only about two blocks away, so it wasn't that bad of a walk. Cadence and I were so excited that we would run ahead, but Princess Celestia would tell us to wait for her. When we finally reached school, Cadence and I stopped in our tracks. The place looked so big and there were so many other foals there. Although we faced a large crowd every night, they are usually older and we never really talked to them. Now, we didn't really have a choice.

When Celestia caught up to us, she put her hands on our shoulders. We turned around to find her smiling. She leaned down so she could talk to us at our level. She gave us a hug at the same time and we hugged her back.

“Have a good day at school,” she said while hugging us. “Try to make some friends. I’ll let you two walk home by yourselves, but be careful.”

“We will,” we said at the same time.

“Have a good day and remember that I love you both.”

“I love you too, auntie Celestia.”

“I love you too, mom.”

> Chapter 5: School
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Did you just call Auntie Celestia ‘mom’?” Cadence asked me after Princess Celestia left. We started walking towards the front gate to the school. There foals of all kinds running around, talking with friends, or just running around. Most of them had their cutie mark, but that was expected. It was rare for a third grader to not have their cutie mark.

“Yeah, I asked her if I could call her my mom last night,” I told her as we continued walking. It took a while for Cadence to process what I told her, but something eventually connected. “She didn’t exactly say ‘yes’, but she called me her son. I took it as her saying that she’ll let me be her foal.”

“That’s so cute, but what are you going to do when they find your real mom?”

“She’s still my mom, but Celestia is too.”

We came up to a table that said “1st” on it. There was a mare behind it and a short line. We tried to find Shining Armor, but we had no luck. I looked carefully at the neck of each pony in line and noticed that no pony had their cutie mark. I pointed this out to Cadence and she sighed in relief.

Cadence always had a thing for having ponies see her in a positive light. She was different enough, seeing as she was an alicorn. The last thing she needed was something, like not having a cutie mark, that made her stand out more than she already does. It’s why she didn’t want ponies to call her a princess. I tried telling her that it doesn’t really matter, but she didn’t listen.

“Name please,” the mare said to us as we got to the front.

“Cadence.”

“Cadence...” She started to look down at a list which I guess had all of our names on it. “Mi Amore Cadenza?”

“Yeah, but most ponies call me Cadence.”

“Okay, but make sure you tell your teacher. Now, you see that big three over there?” She pointed to a white three drawn out in chalk, “When the bell rings, go and stand over there. Next! Name please”

“Golden Shield.”

“Golden…” She while again looking at her list. “Okay, some place as her. When the bell rings, go and stand over at the three. Next!”

Cadence and I were glad that we got the same class. We finally found Shining Armor, but he was standing on the number 1. We wanted to go talk to him, but the bell rang when we first saw him. All the other foals in our class gathered around our number. We were glad to see that none of them had their cutie mark. When our teacher came, she told us to line up and follow her to the classroom.

There were all types of fillies and colts in our class. Tall, short, light weight, heavy set. Ponies with red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, and almost any other color coat. Earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, and one alicorn. Cadence wanted to try and hide somewhere in the middle. I didn’t want to argue. I wanted to be somewhat of a face in the crowd. No pony really paying attention to me.

Our teacher, Mrs. Star Heart, is extremely nice and understanding. She never pointed out that Cadence and I lived in the castle, but ponies could still tell Cadence was a princess. It’s pretty hard to hide both a pair of wings and a horn. The kids in our class didn’t mind that she was a princess. In fact, they thought it was cool to have a princess in their class. Most of them argued who got to sit next to Cadence in class. Mrs. Star Heart decided to create a seating chart to end the arguments. I was lucky to get a seat next to her. I think it’s because she know I was her best friend.

We made plenty of friends that day. Ponies saw me and Cadence as a “package deal”, sort to speak. Although almost anypony in our class would say they are our friends, but there were only three other ponies that truly cared about us.

First there was Octavia Melody, a light grey earth pony. She is the daughter of pianist Soprano Symphony and violinist Harmonic Strings. One could say that musical talent is her blood. Any instrument that she picked up, she could play almost immediately. We were shocked to find out that she doesn’t have her cutie mark yet.

“I just haven’t found the right instrument,” she would tell anypony that asked. “It took my father over twenty different instruments before he tried the piano.”

The one thing I love about Octavia was that she never let anypony make fun of her. Whenever somepony tried to say something rude to her, she would come back with something even more insulting with a snap of the finger. The best part as that she was able to do it without losing her grace or class.

Next there was Vinyl Scratch, a white unicorn with a blue mane, similar to Shining Armor. She is to Octavia what I am to Cadence. We never saw them apart and they shared all the same friends. I thought it was an odd paring though. Where Octavia was classy and refined, Vinyl was more playful and clownish. At the same time, Vinyl was as quick witted as Octavia, which made everything even more entertaining.

The final one was of course, Shining Armor. Although we didn’t have the same teacher, we still had recess and lunch. He is a true and honest friend. Cadence and I are so grateful that we met these three. The five of us were inseparable, and everypony knew that.

I just wish every other foal acted the same way.  The older colts, mainly in the fourth and fifth grade, like to make fun of Cadence. It’s usually some unicorn colt who thinks he’s better than a princess and wants to prove it or a pegasus who thinks they are faster than she is. Most of the time she was able to shrug it off or one of us was able to come to her defense. But let’s get back to the first day of school, or more so the end of the day.

When Cadence and I started walking home, we had an entire mob of first graders following us. It was a little entertaining to me. Foals trying to get next to us so they could talk to us, some foals fining new friends. I wished that Octavia and Vinyl were able to make their way to us, but I soon got my wish. The closer we got to the castle, the fewer foals followed us. Some of them went home and others were too scared to even go near the castle. They said it was all the guards and how they never break their serious look. In the end, it was just the five of us.

“Do you want to come inside?” Cadence said when we got to the castle’s front gate. “Golden Shield could show you around.”

“Sorry guys, but I can’t,” Vinyl said. She was obviously disappointed, as she always wanted to see inside the castle. “My mom said she had a surprise for me after school, so I better get home.” 

“And my dad promised to play Hoof Ball with me today,” Shining Armor said.

“My father wants me to try the flute today,” Octavia said with her high class voice I loved so much. “However, my parents did receive and invite to attend dinner tonight, so I guess I’ll see you there.”

The five of us gave each other hugs and the three of them went home. Cadence and I walked into the castle to find Celestia just happen to walk by.

“How was your first day at school?” Celestia said as she gave us a hug. 

At this point in our relationship, Cadence and I could finish each other sentences. She started off this time.

“It was so much fun! Today…”

“We met so many ponies, and…”

“We made so many friends. Like…”

“Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody, who’s the daughter…”

“Of Soprano Symphony and Harmonic Strings. And guess what…”

“They’re coming for dinner tonight!”

Celestia always found it entreating when we did this, mainly because it was never planned.

“That’s wonderful to hear. You two can go play, but I want you ready for dinner by six.”

“Okay, Auntie Celestia.”

“Okay, mom.” Cadence never really got over me calling Celestia mom and giggles every time I do. I didn’t care. All I really knew was that Celestia loved me like a son and I loved her.

Dinner that night was the best I’ve ever had since being at the castle. Cadence, Octavia, and I had a blast being the only three foals at the table. There was one thing that did take me by surprise.

After the main course, Celestia came over to the foal table and asked me to stand next to her. I, of course, did what she asked. Cadence and Octavia had looks of shock and confusion on their faces. She didn’t take her seat, but she did grab my hand. With her other hand, she grabbed her fork and started banging it against her glass. A silence came over the crowd as she stopped.

“Ladies and Gentlecolts,” she said with a booming voice that filled the room, “two years ago, I had to make a stop in Ponyvillle for a night. I woke up in the middle of the night to see a bright light in the Everfree Forest. When I went to investigate, I found this small colt calling for his mother. He couldn’t even remember his name, let alone what his mother looked like. I took him back to the city, but to our misfortune, we couldn’t find her. I decided to take him here, Canterlot, with hopes of finding his mother. It’s here where I gave him the name Golden Shield, just by looking into his eyes and seeing him for who he is and who he will become. Again we failed, but neither of us were willing to give up hope.” 

I looked out into the crowd. There were ponies with tears in their eyes and others trying to hold back tears as their heard my story. There was one mare openingly sobbing. I looked up at Celestia and I could see that she too was on the verge of crying. I looked into her eyes and I could tell that she was thinking of all the best times we had together. Even mentioning them now made me tear up.

“His first night in Canterlot, I made him a promise that I would do whatever it takes to find his mother. I have since spent as long as I can trying to find this mare. During this time, the two of us have grown closer and closer. Today, I would like to make a very special announcement. I, Princess Celestia, would like to officially adopt Golden Shield. Please help me in welcoming, Prince Golden Shield.”

The crowd clapped and I tugged on Celestia's hand and she leaned down. I gave her the biggest hug I've ever given her and started crying tears of joy.

> Chapter 6: Cutie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

All of Equestria was buzzing with the news of Celestia adopting me. By the next morning, all of Canterlot heard. By noon, all of Cloudsdale knew. By the end of the day, even the griffins knew. It’s all anypony talked about for months, even at school. Foals would gather around me, asking me questions I didn’t know the answer to, mainly because I’ve only been a prince for a day. No matter who said what or how far the news spread, my real mom never turned up. I was still sad that I still haven’t met her, but a bit happy that I get to spend more time with Celestia.

I didn’t really like being called a prince, just like how Cadence didn’t like being called a princess. We just really wanted to be seen just like any other pony. Unfortunately, only a few ponies really stopped calling us prince and princess, and that’s because they knew us the best.

Anyway, this part of the story isn’t about the day after, it’s about the next two years. In the second grade, most ponies knew who their real friends were. Everypony liked each other in class, but we it’s not like we hung out in a big group at recess. By the end of the year, the only ponies following us home were Octavia, Vinyl, and Shining. Needless to say, the older we got, the less popular we became.

Now we’re entering the third grade. Remember when I said that it’s rare for a pony to not have their cutie mark when they are in the third grade. That wasn’t a problem for most of us.

Octavia was first. Not just first in our group, but first in our class. The five of us were overjoyed when it happened. Even Celestia wanted to celebrate. She invited our friends and their families to dinner that night. She honored Octavia that night in a style similar that she did when she announced my adoption.

“Ladies and Gentlecolts,” she said that night with Octavia standing next to her, “We are born with a special talent. At some point in our lives, we recognize that special talent and it comes to fruition. Whether it’s painting, exploring, or even just reading, each talent must be nourished in order to make something beautiful. Today, this young filly has discovered her special talent. She has the opportunity to not only make something beautiful, but to bring joy and entertainment to millions each day. Please give a round of applause to Octavia Melody!”

The entire room went wild with ponies clapping. I could see both of her parents with tears in her eyes. Even Vinyl was tearing up, but she wiped it away quickly. 

“Enjoy this,” Celestia said to Octavia, “this will be the first of many.”

I should explain. Soprano Symphony, Octavia’s father, really wanted Octavia to get her cutie mark.

“It’s not because I’m an impatient stallion, I just want her to find an instrument.” He told us.

He tried almost every instrument. Flute, piano, violin, trumpet, drums, but none of them caught her interest. She was mastered all of them almost instantly, but she could never really see herself playing it for a long time. Nothing that she tried even came close to her getting her cutie mark. She was so close to saying that she shouldn’t even get into music.

The next day, our school introduced us to a music program. Our class was taken to a room full of instruments and they told us to “find one that calls to you.” I took the trumpet, Cadence took the harp, and Shining took the drums. Vinyl never really did find an instrument, but it was fun watching her trying to play every one in there. It became more of a hobby for the rest of us, but not to Octavia. In the middle of the room, there was a large cello sitting in a stand. She swears that the light hit it just right, and it was shining like a star at night.

While the rest of us were playing away at our instruments, not really making a coherent song, Octavia was busy getting ready to play. When she finally did, the room went silent. Unlike the rest of us, each note slipped silently into the next. Every time she pulled the bow back and forward, another heavenly note came out. Even with her arms stretched to their length, she still played as if she was a professional. When she finally finished, a light started coming out of her neck. The next thing we knew, there was a purple treble clef on the right side of her neck. 

We of course celebrated at school, rushed to her house, and told her parents. When Cadence and I got back to the castle, we told Celestia. In the last minute, she invited them for dinner. That now brings us up to dinner and Celestia speech.

Vinyl was next. Because we didn’t know when my actual birthday was, so we just celebrate the day Celestia found me, which was during the summer. It really was a great “birth” day party. Almost every foal in our class showed up to the castle. By the end of the day, only the five of us were left, playing with all the new toys in my room. Cadence and Octavia were really the only playing. My favorite gift was a record player and a set of records Celestia gave me. We played the records and just sat back and enjoyed the music.

“Today was a lot of fun,” Vinyl said while she was leaning back on my bed.

“Yeah, thanks for having us over.” Shining was sitting on the floor near the bed and next to Cadence.

“Don’t thank me, thank my mom.” Cadence snickered as she always does, but none of us paid attention. “And think you, Octavia, for playing that song on your cello for me.”

“It wasn’t a problem at all. I’m just glad that you liked it.”

“Hey, I’m going to get some water,” Vinyl said as she sat up and started getting off the bed, “Does anypony else want something.”

“I’ll take a glass.”

“You got it Shinin...whoa!” Vinyl had got her hoof caught on a rug and tripped. As a reflex, she used her hands to try and break her fall. One hand landed on the floor and the other on the record. This scratched it, but it also made this cool sound. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, Golden. I didn’t mean too…” 

“Did you hear that?” I said, interrupting her. “Can you do it again?”

“What? You mean this?” Vinyl started to scratch the record back and forward. This made changed the song and gave it a kick or a little extra spice. We all loved what she was doing and encouraged her to do it with other records. This of course ruined the records, but I found a spell that could fix them. We started dancing to the music that she was making. Vinyl was obviously enjoying herself too, and everypony knew it. We went through the entire stack of records before the light started coming out of her neck. When the light faded, we saw a backwards double quaver on her neck.

When Vinyl’s mom came to pick her up, she wanted to celebrate. She deiced to take Vinyl to the mall and she could have anything she wanted. Her final decision was a pair of sunglasses. She wore those thing every day we saw her. We made jokes saying that they were glued to her face.

Shining Armor got his next. Since the day they met, Shining Armor and Cadence have gotten close. She always called the two of us her two brothers. I’m not sure how he felt about this, but it was obvious to me, Octavia, and Vinyl how he felt about her.

His story starts about half way through second grade. He came to school with a big smile on his face and there was nothing that could bring him down. 

“Why are you so happy?” Vinyl asked him.

“I have big news!” He said as he approached us. “My mom and dad are going to have a baby! I’m going to be a big brother!”

Shining Armor had always told us that he wanted to be a big brother. He didn’t care if it was a brother or a sister, he just wanted a sibling. We were happy for him. It’s something that he wanted and we’re glad that he’s going to get it. There’s only one thing that ruined our time.

“Hey little ones,” a dark green pegasus. His name was Lightning Arc, a fifth grader that liked to pick on us. Every morning he likes to make fun of each of us.  “You know what Vinyl, I didn’t like those glasses at first, but now that I think about it, they cover your ugly eyes.”

“How dare you speak to her like that,” Octavia said in her defense.

“And now we hear from that annoying voice. Honestly, ‘Tavi’ the only thing more annoying than your voice is that cello of yours.”

“First off,” I said, “no pony calls her ‘Tavi’, not even us. Second, you’re just jealous that she can play an instrument and all you can do is kick clouds.”

“That’s a good one, did your real mom teach you that? Oh, wait, you don’t even know who your real mom is. Why don’t you go crying back to Celestia?”

“That’s Princess Celestia to you,” Cadence said.

“And what do we have here? All powerful alicorn who can’t even get into her aunt’s school. You don’t deserve to be a princess.”

The more he talked, the angrier Shining Armor became. He with each comment, you could physically see his anger grow. Lightning’s comment towards Cadence was the last straw for him. I was angry too, but he acted first.

“That’s enough!” he yelled

“Well look at you. Shin-”

“I don’t want to hear it. Why don’t you just leave us alone? Not just today. Not just this week. Forever!”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

Suddenly, Shining’s horn started to glow. It started growing brighter and brighter and a ball of energy started to form at the end of his horn. Lightning started to move backwards and started flying away. 

“Hey look at that, I gotta…” He flew away as fast as he could. From that day, he started to avoid us as if we have the plague. He says he doesn’t know where it came from or what the spell would have done. I think it started because he is protective towards Cadence and he will be protective towards his new brother or sister. There was so much going on that we didn’t even realize that he got his cutie mark, a blue shield with his family’s star and three white stars above it. That leaves me and Cadence.

It’s now that day before third grade and our necks are still bare, or they were this morning.

The five of us were sitting in the grass in Canterlot Park, just enjoying our last day of summer break. It was a nice sunny day with a slight cool breeze. Everypony was there enjoying the day. We were all lying there, looking up at the clouds, when a baseball flew by and landed in the streets.

“A little help!” A colt yelled.

“I got it.” Cadence said to us as she got up. Why she didn’t use her magic, I’ll never know, but I’m glad she didn’t. As she bent down to get the ball, a cart came rushing down street.

“Cadence!” The four of us yelled. She looked up and saw the cart rushing towards her and she froze. We all stood there in horror, not really sure what to do. I thought and wished there was some way for me to get to her in an instant. Out of nowhere, I felt a twinge of magic in my horn. There was a golden flash and I found myself right next to Cadence. I grabbed her and held onto her as hard as I could. There was another golden flash and we were next to our friends again. When the two of us realized that we were safe, we hugged each other harder than ever before. While we were hugging, the light started coming from my neck. When it faded, there was a yellow shield with sabers behind it and a crown above it.

“How did you do that?” Vinyl asked, still in shock.

“I’m not sure. I was thinking of some way to save Cadence and the next thing I knew, that happened.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Octavia said while giving Cadence a hug. “All we care about is that the both of you are safe.”

“And you got your cutie mark.” Shining Armor said while he was patting my back.

That night, Princess Celestia honored me. Not because I got my cutie mark, but for acts of bravery and cunning in a tight situation. Cadence was openly depress at the foal table that night.

“What’s wrong, darling?” Octavia said. Cadence wasn’t eating, just moving around her pasta with her fork.

“Darling?” Vinyl asked. She even lifted her sunglasses to give her a look.

“I wanted to try it out. Anyway, what’s wrong?”

“All of you have your cutie marks, and we start third grade tomorrow. I feel like such a loser.”

“You’re not a loser, Cadence. You’re one of the nicest sweetest ponies that I’ve ever known.” Shining Armor said.

“Thanks Shining, but what are the other ponies going to say? A princess without a cutie mark? They’re going to have a field day with me.”

“Well, then we’ll be there to tell them off.” Vinyl said. She got angry just thinking about what the other foals were going to say.

“Thanks guys, but their words still hurt.”

“Cadence, you are a one in a million pony,” I said, “and you always will be. You are a princess with five great friends. You are really the only pony in all of Equestria that can say that. You have ponies that love you for who you are and not what they see. That is way more important than any cutie mark.” Cadence gave me a smile and I knew that I lifted her spirits. Whatever cloud was over her head was now gone, which made the rest of us happy.

I had some problems falling a sleep that night because I couldn’t stop thinking about Cadence and how sad she was at dinner. I somehow managed to fall asleep that night. I woke up the next morning and got ready for school. Usually, Cadence and I would be ready at the same time, but today, I was walking to the personal dining room by myself. When Cadence finally came in, she was glowing with excitement. I was wondering why, until I saw it. A light blue heart surrounded by golden lace on her neck.

“How did you…when did you…what?” I was at a loss for words. In about nine hours, Cadence somehow got her cutie mark.

“I don’t know, but I’m not complaining! I got my cutie mark, Golden!” We celebrated a bit and finished our breakfast. We headed out to school with grins on our faces.
> Chapter 7: Lessons
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before I called Celestia my mom, I always wondered and dreamed about what my real mom was like. I always wanted her to be sweet, caring, and always looking out for me. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to call Celestia my mom. She was everything I thought my actual mom was like. At the same time, I had no idea that there was another side to being a parent. When she adopted me, our relationship changed a bit.

First off, I noticed that she was more loving. Remember back when I had my nightmares and Celestia would sleep in my bed to calm me down? When I woke up, I would find her holding me as if I was her own. I always enjoyed it because it made me feel loved and safe. Before I turned ten, Celestia would sneak into my room and sleep in my bed. I told everypony that I hated it, but secretly I loved it. There was just something about her that made me feel secure. I think she knew this, and that’s why she didn’t stop.

She also started teaching me life lessons. When we were younger and we wanted a toy, all Cadence and I had to do was ask. That stopped around the second grade. Celestia told us that if we wanted something, we had to earn it. She would tell the maids to leave at least one chore for each of us every day. For every three chores we completed, we would earn five bits. She wanted us to earn everything. The strange thing was the records sounded better when I bought them. This was just one thing she taught us. Almost every day, she wanted to teach us something new, and neither of us minded it.

“Always make a good first impression” is why all of our teachers loved us. “Make good choices” is what kept us out of trouble. “Work hard today and rest tomorrow” is what gave us good grades. We took each of her lessons to heart, but she’s not the only one that gave me life lessons.

Shining Armor’s little sister was born towards the end of the third grade. She was a cute little purple unicorn named Twilight Sparkle. When she was able to walk and talk, Shining brought her along when the five of us went out. We didn’t mind. She was too cute to even care. 

One day Vinyl and Octavia wanted to try something new. Octavia was going to play her cello and Vinyl was going to remix a record at the same time. It was something that none of wanted to miss. We went to go look for Shining and eventually found him in Canterlot Park with Twilight.

“Shining!” Cadence said as she ran towards them, “you have to come see this. Vinyl and Octavia are doing something amazing!”

“Trust us, it’s something that you don’t want to miss,” Octavia said when she caught up to Cadence.

“Alright, let’s…”

“But Shining,” Twilight said with almost a puppy dog look on his face, “you promised that we would play hide-and-seek.”

“She’s right guys. Sorry, but I made a promise.”

“Aw come on Twily,” Vinyl said after she sat down next to Twilight, “you can always play with Shining Armor another time.”

“I know, but I love playing with Shining. He’s my BBBFF.” We all gave Twilight a look of confusion. “My big brother best friend forever.”

“Oh,” we said at the same time.

“Yeah, but…”

“Vinyl, I made a promise to Twily, and you should always keep a promise. What kind of pony would I be if I didn’t keep my promise?”

“I’m fine with waiting until tomorrow,” Octavia said as she sat down, “what about you, Vinyl?”

“Fine, I can wait too. But I think there’s somepony who can’t.”

“Who?” Twilight asked

“The tickle monster!” Vinyl started tickling Twilight. When she finished we stayed in the park and played with Twilight and Shining.

What Shining said really stuck with me. When you make a promise to somepony, they put all of their trust into you. I couldn’t show my face if I ever lost anypony’s trust. From that day on, anytime I made any promise to anypony, I kept it. Just ask Vinyl.

Speaking of which, her and Octavia gave me a great lesson. It all started when Shining Armor was sick in the fourth grade. As it turned out, Lightning Arc only avoided us because he was afraid of Shining Armor. The first chance he got, he immediately went back to his old roots. He approached us while we were sitting eating lunch.

“Well now, it looks like somepony came to school without their armor. Why don’t you go play a sad song about how these are the only friends you’re ever going to make, Tavi?”

“You know what!?” Vinyl shouted as she stood up and slammed her hands on the table. “You should really learn to pick your battles!” Like Shining Armor, you could just see the anger grown on her face. “If you didn’t notice, Shining Armor isn’t the only unicorn here! And that spell you saw, was basic defense spell!” 

Like Shining, her horn was glowing brighter and a ball of energy was forming at the tip. The spell was actually just a light source and wouldn’t do anything if anypony touched it, but Lightning Arc didn’t need to know that. To scare him even more, Cadence and I started to do it too. I don’t think I ever saw anypony gallop faster than before.

I looked over at Octavia and she didn’t even budge. It was like Lightning Arc wasn’t even there.

“How do you do it?” I asked her. “How do you keep calm when it comes to jerks like that?”

“It’s always important to keep your composure and never lower yourself down to their level. Trust me, there are times where it’s better to do nothing.”

“At the same time,” Vinyl said after calming herself down, “you should also try and stand your ground. If you let too many ponies walk all over you, you’ll never get back up.”

I understood what both of them were saying. On one hand, you have to fight for what you believe in, even to the bitter end. Even if you knew you were going to lose, you have to at least try and maybe, just maybe, you’ll win. On the other hand, you have to know when to back down. Sometimes the risk isn’t worth the reward, and trying would just be a waste of energy. What you have to do is find the perfect balance. It’s alright to fight for your friends, but it’s also alright to give in over something small.

The biggest lesson came from a close friend of mine. If it wasn’t obvious, Shining Armor and I were destined to join the Royal Guard. Celestia wanted to introduce us the whole thing. During the first half of the summer between eighth and ninth grade, Princess Celestia wanted us to shadow Captain Iron Side. Cadence even volunteered to watch Twilight.

We both enjoyed almost every moment of it. We started off every morning with the assignments and daily salute, which was Shining’s favorite part. Even after the summer, Shining showed up whenever he could to salute with the rest of the guards. Next came his daily patrol around the city. Then, if he didn’t finish it yet, his monthly report. It was the only paper work he had to do, and it was the most boring part of the day. He would try and get it done quickly and we would go to training camp.

“Alright you newbies,” he shouted to the new cadets on our first day, “this is Shining Armor and Golden Shield! They’re going to be in your spots one day, bit I’m almost positive that they can already run laps around you! So are you little fillies going to prove me wrong or do there two have more stallion in their finger than you do in your entire body!?” I’ve never seen Captain Iron Side this way. I knew that he had to be this strict and mean in front of the new ponies, but this blew me away.

Afterwards, we went to the obstacle course. Shining Armor and I did a run with the cadets, but they helped us a lot. We had to sit out the next run because that was the one that they counted. After that, Captain Iron Side would take us to a somewhat late lunch and let us go about our day.

On our last day, Captain Iron Side asked us if we wanted to know anything else about joining the Royal Guard. Shining Armor didn’t have any questions, so he was free to go, but I still wanted to know a few thing.

“Captain Iron Side,…”

“Please Golden, I’m off duty. Please just call me Iron Side.”

“Iron Side, when did you know you wanted to be Captain of the Royal Guard?”

“That’s a tough one son. I’ve always been good at defense, both verbally and physically. I was really good at sports, but not very good at making my point clear. I dropped the idea of me becoming a lawyer and decided to focus on something that could utilize my talents, so I joined the Royal Guard. The captain before me, Captain Strong Arms, convinced me to go for captain when he retired. I was scared and didn’t want to take the risk at first, but then he told me something I’ll never forget. He told me ‘Don’t live your life with regrets, and regrets are just risk you didn’t take’.”

That stuck with me the most. Everypony says that they don’t want to live their lives with regrets. I was one of those ponies. With that advice I knew what I had to do. I promised myself that I would take more risks, but I had no idea what the repercussions were. I didn’t care, because what kind of pony would I be if I didn’t keep a promise, especially to myself.

> Chapter 8: Sick
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the worst possible thing. There is honestly nothing I hate more than this. Out of anything that could have happened at any time it had to happen now. It’s Monday, a week before high school starts, and I’m here in bed with the week-long flu. 

It’s just as well. Cadence got it, Octavia got it, everypony, but me and Celestia got it. I thought that I might have been in the clear, until this morning. I woke up with a stuffy nose and started sneezing. I knew right then, that I too had caught it. Cadence described it to me when she had it. She said it was like having a cold that would never end. All you could really do was count the days.

Day 1

Celestia brought in a doctor to make sure it was the week-long flu.

“Well, there’s no doubt about it,” said Doctor Healthy Heart as he packed up his belongings. “It’s the week-long flu.” One of the benefits of living in a castle is that you always have a doctor on call, so you don’t even have to leave your room. While our usual doctor, Doctor…you know, I always just called him The Doctor. Anyway, he was off traveling with a friend, so he recommended Doctor Healthy Heart to take his place in his absence. 

“Is there anything my magic could do?” Celestia asked

“It’s better if you don’t. Illnesses don’t respond well to magic. Any attempt to heal him may just cause more harm than good. I’m sorry, princess, but it’s better to let his body deal with.”

“Thank you doctor, you can go now.” Doctor Healthy Heart left the room with a pat on my head. “I’m sorry, Golden. I wish there was something I could do.” Celestia was sitting next to me petting my head. 

“It’s fine mom.” I said, but that’s all I could say with a sore throat. 

“Get some sleep. When you wake up, there will be a nice hot bowl of noodle soup.”

It wasn’t hard for me to fall asleep. I was extremely tired, even if all I did was stay in my bed all day. When I woke up, Celestia was in my room looking out the window, gazing at Canterlot. Her horn was glowing that beautiful golden glow. As she continued to look out, the sun started setting, but she didn’t break her gaze. She was wearing her favorite dinner dress, a white upper portion with golden accent and a skirt that matches her mane. I looked to my left and there was a bowl of noodle soup, still fresh and hot, sitting on a trey. I sat up and put the trey on my lap and started eating.

“Good morning,” Celestia said without breaking her gaze at the city, “how are you feeling?”

“A little better. At least my throat isn’t sore anymore.” The weird thing about the week-long flu is that there are completely unpredictable symptoms. You can literally have a headache for one second. The only problem is that when one symptom goes, a different one comes up. In my case, my sore throat was replaced by a mild fever.

Celestia came over and felt my forehead. “You should take a cold bath, it will bring your fever down. I have to go to dinner, but I’ll be back the first chance I get.”

Celestia left my room and I continued eating. When I finished, I took Celestia’s advice and took a cold bath. It was a hot summer day, and coupled with my fever, the cold bath felt nice. It was almost as if I was on fire and I sat on a block of ice.

When I returned, a maid took away my food trey. I went back to bed and almost instantly fell asleep.

Day 2

For the first time in five years, I woke to find Celestia in my bed. Celestia was immune to all illnesses, but I never knew why. At first I thought it was because she was an Alicorn, but then Cadence got sick. She was, as usual, holding me tight. I moved in closer and went back to sleep. When I woke up for the second time, Celestia had left, but Octavia was sitting there getting her cello ready.

“Octavia, what are you doing here?” I caught her somewhat off guard because she jumped a little.

“Well, I heard that you were sick, so I decided to spend the day with you.”

“You don’t have to do that Octavia, go out and enjoy your summer.”

“It’s fine Golden. All four of want to do this. When we were sick, you came to visit us and made each and every one of us feel special and helped us on our way to recovery. It’s the least we can do. Plus I feel really bad.” Octavia was the last one in our group to get the flu. I guess she feels responsible for getting me sick. Octavia is lucky that it was the type of sickness that you could only get once. “Now stay quiet while I play.”

Octavia started playing my favorite classical song, Toccata And Fugue In D Minor. I don’t know if it was just the song being played through the cello or Octavia’s special touch, but she knew I loved it. I was really hoping that my dry mouth wouldn’t change to sneezing or coughing, so I don’t interrupt her. When the song ended, she flawlessly transitioned into another, and another after that one, and then another. When she finished, I gave her a round of applause. She then pulled her chair next to my bed.

“So, how did you like the show?” She asked

“I always tell you the same thing Octavia. It was your best performance to date.” This made her smile as it always does.

“I’m glad at least you liked it. Even if everypony else hates it, I’m just glad that you like it.” We smiled at the same time. “Golden, I have something to tell you something.”

“Alright,” I said with a raspy voice.

"Once I say this, know that you can't un-hear it."

“Octavia, just tell me."

“Okay…” she took in a deep breath “I’ve always liked you as a friend,” Octavia was obviously struggling with saying this, “I feel like I can tell you this in confidence. I…” Octavia took another pause before saying anything else. She really was the master of suspense, “know for a fact that Lightning Arc has a crush on Cadence.”

“How do you know?”

“Let’s just say he doesn’t talk softly.”

We spent the rest of the day talking and talking and talking. When it came close to dinner, Octavia played one last song to put me to sleep. 

Day 3

Today’s symptom was sneezing. It woke me up in the middle of the night or early in the morning. Celestia was in my room again gazing out into the city. Her horn was glowing and the sun was coming up. 

“Good morning, Golden. How are you today?” All I did was sneeze. “Well, that answers the. I’ll send in some soup.”

When Celestia left, I put on a record and just sat there listening to music. I ate my soup and took a shower shortly after. When I got back into bed, I found a new book that was placed on my night stand. A book called Star Battles. I finished it by noon and it is now my favorite book. When I put it down, there was a knock on my door.

“Hey Golden,” Vinyl said as she walked into the room, “How ya felln’?” All I did was sneeze again. “Ah, the sneezes. I got them too. It felt so good and so bad at the same time.” 

“You don’t have to be here, Vinyl.” I sneezed shortly after.

“I know, but I want to…”

“Vinyl!”

“Octavia twisted my arm, but really it’s fine. It’s my way of paying you back from when I was sick. I brought a ball.”

“So I go from a five star performance to a dog toy.”

“Shut up. I thought that you would enjoy some catch.”

“You are…are… achoo …bad at lying.”

“Well I can’t just sit there and talk, it’s so boring.”

Vinyl took a seat in a chair on the other side of the room and we started throwing the ball at each other and talked for a while. Eventually Vinyl put on some music and we tried throwing to the beat.

“Hey Golden, can I tell you something?” She said while still throwing the ball

“You know you can,” I said after sneezing my smallest sneeze ever. Vinyl started to laugh at it and tried to get out what she wanted to say at the same time. She took in a deep breath and finally stopped laughing.

“I think Cadence has a crush on Shining Armor.”

“What makes you think that?”

“The little things. The way she looks at him, how she talks to him, the way she looks when he talks to her.”

I knew she was either hiding something or misreading Cadence’s signals. I asked Cadence once if she liked him and she said no. It was because he was a somewhat of a mare’s stallion. He’s had seven different filly-friends in middle school alone. Cadence always said that she wanted stability in a relationship. She always said that true love isn’t something you give away to the first mare or stallion that gives you the time of day or easily transferred from one pony to another. It’s something that binds two ponies together. It’s something that you are willing to die for.

“Vinyl, remember when I said you’re bad at lying?”

“What? What do you want me to say?”

“Just tell me…me…me…achoo…what’s really going on.”

“There’s nothing going on.” She was starting to look a little uncomfortable and blush a bit.

“Vinyl, please. I promise I won’t tell anypony.”

“Alright, but I swear if you say a word to anypony, the week-long flu will be the least of your worries.”

“I won’t say a word.”

“I mean it, Golden, you can’t say a word to anypony.”

“Not a single word to Shining, not a single word to Cadence, I won’t even say anything to Celestia.”

“Alright. I might have a little crush on Shining Armor.” She tried saying it as fast as she could in hopes that I didn’t hear her, but I did. I acted shocked, but that’s because Octavia was right and now I owe her ten bits. Vinyl went on to tell me how he made her feel about him, which was the real shocking part.

Vinyl had always come off as vary tom-coltish and almost disconnected to her feelings. It was always me, her, and Shining that defended our group when somepony would come make fun of us. Not only that, but Shining has even called her one of the guys before. But now that she’s telling me all of this and showing me everything in her heart, I see her in a different light. She was no longer a filly who acted like a colt. She is a filly that was strong willed.

We talked for the rest of her time here. When she finally left, a maid brought in another bowl of soup and a book called Raiders of the Lost Ship. It introduced one of my favorite book characters of all time, Daring Do. I only made it half way through before I fell asleep.

Day 4

I don’t think I’ll have soup again after this week. The only good thing about having soup every day is that I would have had ever type of soup known to pony. This morning, Celestia herself brought in tomato crème soup.

“Please mom, anything but soup,” I said when I realized what was on the trey. As I talked, it became obvious that I had a stuffy nose today.

“I know,” Celestia said. She sat down on my bed next to me and started petting my head, which soothed me. “Our usual doctor contacted me and told me to feed you only soup. He said that it was an experimental treatment. He’s hoping to reduce the illness by one day. Now please, Golden, eat up and take a shower. I have some things I need to get done, but I promise that I’ll be back before dinner.”

I actually enjoyed today. I immediately knew that Chef Celery Stalk made this soup. Like Octavia, she puts a special little something into everything she makes. I could never figure out what her secret ingredient is, but I don’t complain. She really is the best chef we have.

Shining and Twilight came to visit me today. Shining has always been like a brother to me. He didn’t really like me at first. He thought I was too clingy to Cadence. When we actually got to know each other, we learned that we had a lot more in common. We both liked the same sports team, both ate the same things, the only thing that separated us was how we acted. While I am less likely to get extremely angry, Shining could let his anger out in a flash. We learned that we work well as a team. I would brush off the small verbal attacks and, if they got too far out of hand, Shining would make sure they don’t come back.

“Golden!” Twilight said as she burst into my room. “I missed you! Are you feeling better yet?” Normally I would get mad when somepony would burst into my room like that, but Twilight was just too cute for me to care. Twilight was trying to give me a hug while I was still in my bed.

“Twilight, it’s rude to burst into rooms like that,” Shining said as he too came in.

“It’s fine Shining. How have you two been?” I was trying to give Twilight a hug back, but it ended up being awkward. It wasn’t until I pulled away that I noticed something different about Twilight. “Twilight, what’s that?”

“Oh yeah. I got my cutie mark today!” She went on to tell me how it happened, but I don’t want to bore you with another cutie mark story. All you really have to know is that she also got into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Shining Armor fell asleep during the story. It turns out that he spent the past two days helping Twilight prepare for her entrance exam.

“That’s fantastic Twilight. I’m sure my mom is going to love teaching you.”

“I know, but I’m scared.”

“Why?”

“Because if that boom didn’t happen when it did, I wouldn’t have even got into the regular school. Now, I’m Princess Celestia’s personal student. What if I don’t disappoint her?” It was easy to tell that she was depressed.

“Twilight,” I said in a comforting tone, “I’m going to tell you something that I’ve never told anypony else. When I first came to Canterlot, I was scared. I thought that I wasn’t good enough to even be near Princess Celestia. Two years later, I struggled with asking Princess Celestia to be my mom. I thought that I still wasn’t worthy of her. But, when I asked, she said yes. Twilight, Princess Celestia doesn’t make big decisions on a whim. Every choice she makes, she’ll have no regrets. I’m sure you’ll do great Twilight.”

Twilight had the biggest smile on her face. She threw her arms around me and thanked me. It turns out that Twilight brought her toys with her so she would have something to do while Shining and I talked. Seeing as how he was asleep, I don’t think we’ll be talking. I decided to actually get out of bed and play with Twilight. I was careful not to get any of my germs on her toys.

Shining finally awoke, but the two of them had to leave. I felt like I really did make a difference today, even if it was just from my bed room. There was something that made Chef Celery Stalk’s signature green onion wanton soup even better than it usually was. I ate my soup, took a shower, finished my Daring Do book, and went to sleep with a big smile.

Day 5

Today was the worst day so far. I woke up this morning with a splitting head ache. Every sound made it worse. A maid came in to give me my soup, and even the sound of the door closing made my head throb.

“Pain killers, please.” The maid nodded and started to leave the room. “Please close the door quietly please.” I said before she left. I’m grateful that she remembered to be quiet when she came back. “Thank you. There’s some bits on that counter over there. Take some for yourself.”

I was always grateful that the maids did so much work for somepony who wasn’t even a real member of the royal family. Giving them a few extra bits here and there, never hurt me and always made them happy. I also noticed that they started working a bit harder or snuck me a little something special. Cadence wondered why they were so nice to me, but I never told her. I thought it was fun watching her get frustrated.

The pain killers helped a little. It no longer hurt when the door opened and closed, but loud noises still killed me. I ate my soup, and started reading The Great Gallopsby, which turned out to be one of my favorite books. It wasn’t that long and Cadence came in by the time I finished.

“Well, look who finally showed up.”

“You know me. Saving the best for last.” She accidently slammed the door behind her.

“Not so loud, please.” I said after taking some more pain killers.

“Headaches?”

“Headaches.”

“Do you remember when I had headaches?”

“Stuffed you full of pain killers? I really can’t think right now.”

“You climbed into bed with me, and told me to start thinking about something else.” She started getting into bed with me. “Then we talked and talked and talked and then you started petting my head. When we were talking, I completely forgot about my headaches. So, that’s what I’m going to do. So, what do you want to talk about?”

“I think you should let your mane down.”

“What?”

“For about ten years, I’ve only seen you with your mane in a ponytail. Even at dinner, your mane is always tied back. Please, Cadence.”

She sighed at first, but she then pulled the mane tie out. At first it was messy, but then she started styling it. It was straight, but curled at one end. 

“You know,” she said when she finished styling it, “I like it. I might just keep it. Anyway, what did you and the others talk about?”

“Well, Octavia said that Lightning Arc has a crush on you…”

“Obvious.”

“Vinyl can’t stand still…”

“Already knew that.”

“Oh, and Twilight got her cutie mark.”

“Aweee.”

I retold Twilight’s cutie mark story, and Cadence started to tear up. As her foal sitter, Cadence felt close to Twilight. She always felt like Twilight was the younger sister that she never had. Just like me, everything that Twilight did was just too cute, even getting her cutie mark was cute.

We continued to talk until dinner, but she still had sometime before she had to get ready.

“Alright one last question, Golden, how do you feel about us?”

“What?”

“You heard me. What do you think about us?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well do you see us as friends, family, or…more?”

I’m not going to lie, I have thought about it before. At first, Cadence was one of my closest friends in the world. She was always somepony that I could trust and confide in. Whenever something would go wrong or I would feel down, I know I could always go to her. I was always her shoulder to cry on and she was mine. And there were times when I thought that her and I were meant to be. She’s just seems so perfect on every level and I knew that we would be happy together.

“We’re best friends,” I told her

“So you never thought of us being anything more?”

“Nope.” I’m a liar.

“Alright, well thanks for being honest with me. I have to go get ready for dinner. Feel better.”

I felt so bad that I just lied to Cadence, for the first time. Anything left over from yesterday was now gone. I could barely even eat my soup. I felt so bad that I couldn’t even re-read The Great Gallopsby. I just went to bed and tried to get some sleep.

Day 6

By now ponies should still be sick, but I wasn’t.

“Soup,” the doctor said in his Trottingham accent. The one thing I loved about him is that he didn’t dress like a normal doctor. He usually wore either a brown or blue suit with a brown trench coat. “A mother’s secret for thousands of years. Who would have thought that it would have worked?”

“Thank you doctor,” Celestia smiled with a giant smile.

“No problamo…is something I’m never going to say again. Now if you excuse me, I’m working on a new type of screwdriver.” The Doctor left the room with a spring to his step.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Golden.” Celestia said while we hugged.

“Can you do a favor for me, mom?” 

“What do you need?”

“Can you please spend the day with me?”

“I thought a colt your age would want to try and get away from their mother.”

“Not me. I spent the past five days talking to my friends, but when I talked to Twilight, she reminded me of something. You’re my mom and I love you and I know you love me. You’ve done so much for me and I want to do something with you. I know you like spending time with me, but I also know that you’re always busy. So, I was hoping that I could follow you around today.”

“You know, Golden, as a mother I shouldn’t say this, but I was hoping that you would still be sick. I finished all my work yesterday, so I could spend all day with you. At first I was disappointed when I thought that I wasn’t going to be able to spend the day with you, but now it looks like we can.”

“So, how about we pretend that I’m still sick.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Celestia said with a smile on her face.

I climbed into bed and she started pet my head to sooth me. She even started softly singing a lullaby. It made me smile and that made her smile. We started talking about random things. I asked her about what it was like being a princess, she asked me about my friends, and so on.

We went to dinner and I found where my friends were sitting. I almost received a standing ovation from my friends. I looked behind the main table to find that the foal table filled with new foals. I started going back in my mind to all the good times the five of us had at that table.

“Thanks guys. I’m glad to be back.”

“A week-long flu done in five days. What’s your secret?” Shining Armor asked when I sat down.

“Soup. Lots and lots of soup. So, what’s on the menu?”

“Clam Chowder,” Octavia said with a bit of a giggle.

“Just my luck.” The five of us had a good laugh and we all knew that it was just the start of the night. It was the best dinner I’ve attended ever since I arrived at the castle. At the end of the night, Cadence and I walked back to our rooms together. I still felt bad about lying to her, but I couldn’t tell her, not yet.

Day 7

By now, most ponies would be back on their hooves today, and feel the way I felt yesterday.

“Who would of thought of soup?” the doctor’s friend, Doctor…I don’t know his name either. He always wears a bow tie, so I’ll just call him Bow Tie Doctor. “Out of everything in the world, magic, flying at high speeds, soup beats them all.”

Anyway, I got ready for school. Cadence and I walked to school together and the five of us met up in front of the school.

“Are you ready?” Cadence asked

“Always,” Vinyl said as she put on her sunglasses

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Octavia said

“It has to be better than soup,” I said and Octavia giggled a bit.

“Let’s do this,” Shining said and the five of us walked into the school.

I think it hit all of us at the same time. We’re now in High School. 

> Chapter 9: Freshmen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

There we were. The five of us about to start an adventure that none of us are prepared for. High School. We all walked in together and found where we get our class schedule. It was amazing how many ponies there were. It was like the dining room, but more spread out. I found my table where, like in first grade, there was a mare sitting on the other side.

“Name please,” she said

“Golden Shield.”

“Golden Shield? As in Prince Golden Shield?” she put her head down as if she was bowing to me. I looked over to Cadence’s line and saw the same thing was happening to her. She looked over at me and rolled her eyes.

“Please, don’t bow. And it’s just Golden Shield.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just not sure how to act. I’ve never been in the presence of a prince.” She started going through a stack of schedules until she pulled out mine. “Enjoy your year.”

After we got our schedules, the five of us met up so we could see what classes we have together. Octavia, Vinyl, and I had first and second period together, while Shining and Cadence shared theirs. Cadence, Octavia, and I had our third period together and Vinyl and Shining had theirs together. I gave Vinyl a little smirk and she mouthed “shut up” to me. I don’t think the others saw us. The five of us all had the same fourth and fifth period together. Only Octavia and I shared our sixth period.

“Well, at least we have lunch, fourth, and fifth together,” Vinyl said as the bell rang.

With the help of a kind eleventh grader, the three of us found our way to the gym for our first class: PE. At first, we were just standing around on the basketball courts with numbers panted on the blacktop. When the teachers came out, they were holding signs with their names on it. We found ours, Coach Back Stroke. She was the coach for the swimming and diving team. She tried transferring those skills to a regular PE class, but it never worked out. She ended up being too strict. I didn’t really mind though and she always liked me. 

Our second period was Biology. Our teacher, Mrs. Heart, wasn’t very good. All she would really do was tell us to read a part of the textbook and answer the questions at the end of the section. Octavia, Vinyl, and I were able to finish the work quickly, but it didn’t really feel like learning. It was, however, basically a free “A”, so none of us were really complaining.

Our third period was Language Arts. Octavia and I waited outside the class for Cadence. We stayed outside until about a minute before the bell rang. We were in shock that Cadence would ditch a class, especially on the first day. We went inside and started laughing at what we saw. Cadence made it to the class before us and saved us the seats next to her. It became an inside joke between the three of us, where one of us would save a seat and the other two will just wait.

The teacher, Mr. Paper Back, is a bit older and vary easy going, but he still taught. While he like to joke around with his class, he would still get serious when he needs to. The three of us liked him more than any other teacher. 

We had lunch next. Octavia, Cadence, and I found a table and waited for Vinyl and Shining. I started chuckling to myself at just the thought of those two alone. I think Octavia noticed, but she knew when somepony wanted to be discreet and she knew when the perfect time to strike was. Vinyl and Shining finally showed up. They took a seat, and almost immediately Vinyl slammed her head down on the table.

“Ow,” she said with a muffled voice.

“What’s wrong?” Cadence asked

“We got the worst Language Art teacher,” Shining said as he too slammed his head on the table, only he was smart to use his arms to cushion his head.

“It can’t be that bad,” Octavia said while patting Shining back in a comforting way. I was doing the same to Vinyl.

“We have to get some book called The Good Soil and we need to have the first chapter done by Wednesday.”

I read The Good Soil one day when Cadence was sick. I found it dry and the main character a little whiney. If I barely made it through the entire book, I have no idea how far those two will get. 

“I think there’s are copies in the library.” Cadence said

“I don’t care if I can get the book,” Vinyl’s voice was still muffled as she didn’t even bother to lift her head to talk, “I just don’t want to read it.”

“You know, I read it.” Vinyl and Shining’s heads shot up and their eye grew with a bit of hope. “I could help you guys out.”

“Will you tell us what happens?!” Vinyl grabbed me and shoved her face into mine. It scared me a little, but it’s what I’ve come to expect of her. I’m not one for ruining books, however, it was such a boring book that I didn’t mind.

“I guess, but I think that you should still read the book. Teachers always ask questions about the little things.”

The rest of lunch was normal. We ate and talked until the bell rang. When it did ring, we walked to our Geometry class. Our teacher turned out to be the only griffon on staff. He was the only one not to freak out over having a prince and or princess in his class. It was a nice change and I think I liked him more for it.

Our fifth period was Griffon/Dragon History. Ponies, as a society, know very little about dragons, so the school system just put the two classes together. I liked our teacher, Mrs. Globe. She was a bit older and softer spoken, but she is easily approachable and always willing to help.

Finally, Octavia and I walked off to our sixth period class, Health. Our teacher was a bit off and eccentric, but he was funny.

“So, what were you laughing about?” Octavia asked after we took our seats. Like I said, Octavia always knew the perfect time to strike.

“Just a joke.” 

“Tell it to me.” Octavia knew I was lying, but she’s like a cat playing with its food before it tears it apart. I had to come up with one on the spot and I hoped the she would buy it.

“What did the green grape say to the purple grape?” She didn’t respond, only raised an eyebrow. “Breathe!” I started a laugh, but she could tell it was fake.

“You’re an idiot.”

“I know.”

“So, why were you laughing?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why? I thought that we were friends and we don’t keep secrets from each other. Plus I told you about Lightning Arc, so you owe me.”

“We are friends, but I can’t tell you.”

“Why?”

“Because I made a promise to…”

“Vinyl. She told you a secret and made threatened to kill you if you said anything.”  It always sacred me how she did that.

“How did you know?”

“Because she told it to me too.”

“You forced it out of her, didn’t you?”

She looked at me and we laughed. We both knew of how she is able persuade people with just the right look, which is something that I loved about her. The teacher started the class, but all it was just a get to know each other day. When the bell rang, Octavia and I got out of the class as quickly as we could. We found the other three in front of the school, but there was a yellow pegasus with a mane like fire talking with them.

“Hello,” Octavia said, “Who’s this?”

“Guys, I would like to introduce you to Spitfire. I met her in my sixth period.”

“Hey. What’s up?” She shook our hands almost lazily. Her hands were soft and she was really laid back. 

“Octavia,” She said as the two shook hands.

“Hey I know you,” she said as she shook my hand. “You’re Celestia’s kid.”

“Guilty,” I said. I knew just from that small interaction, we were going to be friends.

“Cool, I never thought that I would meet a prince and a princess in the same day.”

“Don’t call them that!” Vinyl said with a bit of an aggressive tone.

“Did I do something wrong?” Spitfire asked me

“Oh, don’t worry about it. Neither of us really liked to be called Prince or Princess. Please just call me Golden.”

“If you guys don’t mind, she’s going to be hanging out with us for a while.”

“Of course not,” Cadence said, “The more the merrier.” 

The six of us went to the park and found our favorite tree to sit under. Spitfire laid down and just looked so relaxed. If it wasn’t for her wings and fire mane, she would look as if she was in her element. I didn’t really notice her cutie mark at first, but it looked like her it should have been a hammock.

“There’s no way your special talent is speed,” I said.

“Why not?”

“You look way to laid back to have anything to do with speed,” Cadence said.

“Oh, you are going to love this.” She started to fly off. When she was far enough away, she started flying faster than any of us have ever any pegasus fly. She was flying so fast that a trail of smoke started following her. She spelt out her name in cursive as we watched in awe.

“I don’t like her,” Vinyl said while we were watching Spitfire fly.

“What? How can you not love her?” Shining asked, somewhat offended.

“There’s just something about her that I can’t put my finger on. Besides, what’s wrong with the five we already have?” Octavia and I knew what it really was, but we were able to hide out giggling.

“Just give her a chance. Who knows, maybe you two can become best friends,” Cadence said.

“Any questions?” Spitfire said as she landed gracefully.

“I’m sold,” I said.

“Oh, we almost forgot,” Cadence said as she remembered that Vinyl and Shining had homework, “We need to get you two a book. Want to come along, Spitfire? We’re going to the castle.” She said that last part in a sing-songy way to try and convince her to come.

“Sure, why not. I always wanted to see the inside of the castle. So, what book do you guys have to get?”

“The Good Soil,” Shining said with a sigh.

“Oh, I read that one. I hated every part of it.”

“Well read, athletic. If you were a princess, we wouldn’t need Golden anymore,” Octavia said.

We started walking and joking, except for Vinyl who was still didn’t want Spitfire to be there. At the same time, she didn’t want to actually read the book, so she came along.

When we approached the castle, you could hear Spitfire gulp. It reminded me of my first time seeing the castle. Back before I called Celestia mom, before I knew any of the ponies that I now call friends, back when I was afraid of everything. It reminded me of my nightmares and sent a shiver down my spine. Cadence knew what I was like I was thinking about my nightmares, so she started comforting me. I didn’t notice until Cadence brought it to my attention, but I started crying.

“What’s wrong with him?” Spitfire asked.

“Long story,” Cadence said while still comforting me. “He’ll tell you when he’s ready.”

We walked into the main hall of the castle and it was like watching a kid in a candy store. It was mine and Cadence’s favorite things to do. Get dressed for dinner and watch the ponies enter the castle for the first time. They always had the same reaction. Their eyes would grow big, their jaws would drop to the floor, and finally they would look up at the masterfully crafted rotunda. Spitfire was no exception.

“Come on, the library is this way,” Cadence said leading us the long way. She liked to show off the castle whenever we made a new friend, which was few and far apart. I let her have this moment, because she never gets it. Spitfire was still in awe and hand to be dragged by the arm.

She finally broke her trance about five minutes after we reached the library. I didn’t really understand why until today. Everything looked amazing and well crafted. All the detail in just the sculpting on the walls, the craft of each door, even how each room was lighted said something about the designer. I don’t know why I never saw it before, but it was beautiful. I thought that was the reason why I was crying, but it was quickly dismissed.

“Here we go,” Octavia said as she found two copies of the book.

“Alright, Golden this is where…Golden?” Vinyl started looking for me. I was sitting against a book shelf, with my face buried in my hands. Cadence started comforting me, but nothing she did helped.

“Go find Auntie Celestia,” she said. I didn’t say anything, just nodded. I got up and headed straight for the throne room, where I assumed she was.

“Wait Golden,” Vinyl said trying to run after me, “You have to tell us what happens in the first chapter!” That’s the last thing that I heard before I was out of earshot.

I didn’t know why I was crying, but I was. I knew that there was only one pony that could really comfort me. When I had my nightmares and was calling for my mom, there was only one pony on my mind, only one pony that could make me feel happy.


The guards didn’t stop me from entering the throne room. They saw that I needed Celestia more than ever, so they opened the doors. They didn’t even announce me or have the usual fanfare, my tears were enough. She looked over at me and dropped whatever she was doing and started to run towards me. I started to run towards her, and the only sound in the rooms were the clopping of our hooves hitting the hard floor. We hugged in the middle the room. I think it’s the hardest she’s ever held me and it was defiantly the hardest I’ve ever held her.

“What’s wrong?” I didn’t respond. I was crying too hard to even say anything. “Please Golden, tell me. I can’t stand to see you like this.”

“I don’t know,” I said through my tears.

There was a moment of silence as the two of us hugged. I think she mouthed something, but I was too lost in my tears to care. She, like always does, broke the silence. She was singing her lullaby and petting my head again.

“There, now can you tell me what happened?”

“I don’t know. We brought our new friend home, and watching her see the castle for the first time and then I started crying. I’m not sure why and I tried to stop, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry for interrupting you, mom.”

“You could never interrupt me. I will always have time for you.” She gave me a kiss on the forehead, which I found more soothing than anything else.

The doors opened, again without announcement or fanfare. I looked to see Cadence quickly approaching us with her arms outreached. She looked as if she was on the verge of crying herself. I met her half way and gave her a big hug.

“Thank you for always being there for me.” I whispered into her ear.

“I will always be there for you, but you have to make one promise to me. You have to always be there for me.”

“I promise.” 

On that day I understood what my cutie mark meant. I am destined to protect ponies, but not just any ponies. I am destined to protect the royal family. It is my sole duty to always be there for my mom and Cadence, like how they have always been there for me. 

The rest of the day went as planned. I returned to the library to be greeted by hugs, some more affectionate than others, but I felt their love just the same. While I was gone, Spitfire had been filled in on my full story and helped Vinyl and Shining in return. At the last minute, Spitfire received an invite to dinner, so she stayed. We enjoyed that dinner, because we knew that it was the first of many where of us enjoyed each other’s company.

I just wish the rest of the night went smoothly. For the first time in nine years, I had a nightmare. For some reason, I was a colt again and was being chased by the darkness in the forest. I was running and trying to blast the darkness back with burst of magic. There was nothing that my magic could do. Whenever I blasted the darkness, it would just reform. I again tripped and started calling for my mom. I looked up and Celestia was standing right there. She helped to my feet and the two of us tried to fight off the darkness, but it soon consumed us.

“I love you, mom.” I said before the darkness covered my head. She grabbed me and held me close.

Suddenly, I saw a bright light coming from the darkness. The light was in the shape of a unicorn and was cutting through the darkness. It was blasting off the darkness in every direction, and this time it didn’t return. When it finally reached us, it bent down on its knees and kissed my forehead. I couldn’t look straight at it because it was so bright. I looked up to Celestia and she just nodded her head. I let go of Celestia and the three of us were able to fight off the darkness. 

As the darkness retreated back into the forest, the figure got down on its knees again and kissed me on the cheek. Its brightness started to fade, but I couldn’t make out any features. All I could tell is that it was a mare.

“Mom?” I said right before I woke up to Celestia holding me, like she always does.

----------

It’s been months since I had the nightmare. I told everypony about it. I told them that for a while, I got to meet my mom, even if I never saw her face or heard her voice. They were happy for me of course. Now, whenever I think I’m close to a nightmare, she shows up. I could never make out any facial features and she never talked, but just seeing her there made me happy. 

Things have been a bit crazy, relationship wise. First, Shining has had a few marefriend. To all of our surprise, Spitfire wasn’t one of them. He tried too, but she said that she didn’t want a relationship right now. Lightning Arc has made numerous attempts to join our group, but you can understand our trepidations. We all knew that he tried because he wanted to get close to Cadence, but she wouldn’t go for it, knowing her views on the whole relationship thing. There were other colts, but she turned them all down just the same. She credited all the attention to her new mane style.

“You’re welcome,” I would say whenever she would bring it up. It was very pretty. No pony could deny that.

It’s now time for the Homecoming Dance. We won the Griffon Hoofball, which is a little more complicated and off over the pony version, game last night against Cloudsdale 30-25. While he is the best on the freshman team, Shining would have loved to play that night. It hurt him a little that he couldn’t, but he still enjoyed himself.

Every year, Homecoming is held in the castle’s gardens, which made it easy for Cadence and I. While Celestia had us and the maids work harder to give the castle an extra shine. The two of us didn’t mind. The more chores we do, the more we get paid. We were tired after it all, but excited for the dance.

Octavia wanted us to come over to her house to get ready for the dance. It would be smarter if we got ready at the castle instead, but Octavia liked to make an entrance. We couldn’t argue. We really couldn’t. Cadence owed her favor that they won’t talk about and she used her puppy dog face on me.

Octavia’s house was extremely impressive. It was three stories tall. The front door opened to a beautiful foyer. The walls were lined with pictures of her parents at recitals, awards they have won, and famous ponies that they have met. The second biggest picture was a wedding picture. It was masterfully done, but it pales in comparison to the largest picture in the room. It was of Octavia, bowing at her first recital. It captures her beauty, grace, and elegance all from one angle. The rest of the house was nothing compared to that one room, but it didn’t need to. The foyer was impressive enough for the rest of the house.

Shining and I were got ready in about ten or fifteen minutes. Octavia, Cadence, and Spitfire were in Octavia’s bedroom still working on their manes. Vinyl was the only one not to show up, but we assumed that he was going to show up to the dance with Bass Drop. Shining and I were waiting in the guest room until the fillies were ready.

“Two glasses of water,” Octavia’s mom said as she handed both of us a glass of water.

“Thanks, Mrs. String,” Shining and I said together before she left the room.

“To us having a great night,” I said

“I’ll drink to that.”

“I have a question for you. How the hell are you single right now?” Shining started laughing when after he heard that. “No, I’m serious. You’ve had a few fillies after you every time you break up with somepony, but here you are with no date.”

“I don’t know, maybe I’m waiting for somepony.”

“Shining.” I had doubt in my voice.

“I mean it. I want to wait for somepony to realize that she wants me.”

“Is it Vinyl?”

“No comment.”

“Spitfire?”

“No comment.”

“Octavia?”

“No comment.”

“It’s Cadence.”

“No comment.”

“Come on, Shining, just ask her. Who knows, you might get lucky and she just might say yes.”

“Golden, we both know that if I did like Cadence, and I’m not saying that I do, and I asked her, she would defiantly say no.”

“You’ll never know if you try.”

We heard a knock at the door and Octavia’s mom calling for her. A little while later, Octavia stuck her head into the room.

“Golden, I need you.” She said. I looked at Shining and he looked confused. I put on my jacket and followed Octavia. She was wearing a purple dress that went down to her knees and a pair of elbow high gloves. Her mane was straightened, but it looked longer and darker.

“Wow, you look amazing.” I said taking in her entire outfit.

“That’s not important right now. Come with me.” She grabbed my arm and started leading me downstairs. I was wondering what was so important, but then I heard it. Vinyl was downstairs sobbing. I ran ahead just to make sure that I was correct. I was, but I wasn’t happy about it. She was sitting in the dining room just crying her eyes out.

“What happened?” I asked Octavia.

“I don’t know, but I need you to find out while I get my make-up done. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done.” As she said that, it hit me that she wasn’t wearing make-up and she still looked stunning.

“Don’t worry.” I told her. She gave me a hug and went back up stairs. “Are you okay, Vinyl?” I said as I got down on my knees in front of her chair.

“Go away, Golden,” She said through her tears. For a moment, I didn’t believe that it was Vinyl. Crying just seemed so out of character for her. She didn’t even refer to it as crying when Octavia was playing. She called it “liquid pride”. It wasn’t liquid pride this time. This time she was crying “I want to talk to Octavia.”

“Vinyl, you know you can tell me anything. Please just talk to me.”

“No! I want to talk to Octavia!” She was crying ever higher than before at this point. I had to think of something quick, I just wish I thought of something else.

“Alright Vinyl, do you remember when I was sick and you told me your secret?” She only nodded her head. “Now it’s my turn. I’m going to tell you a secret that you have to keep. After I tell you this, you’re going to trust me as much as you do Octavia. Then I want you to tell me what happened.” I leaned in and whispered my secret into her ear. It was like I spoke some magic words because she stopped crying the second I started talking. My secret was something that only I know, and I was very good at hiding it.

“Alright,” she said, “I’ll talk. It’s Bass Drop. When I first brought up the idea of going to the dance he didn’t like it. He thought that school dances were just for the dumbest people at the school. I told him that I didn’t really care about the dance itself, I just wanted all of us to hang out. We put off making a decision until today. We got in a big fight and then we broke up.”

I was again in a state of disbelief. Bass Drop has always wanted to make Vinyl happy, even if he didn’t really want to do it. He sat through Octavia’s recitals, put up with our lunch conversations, and even tried to read some books to try and keep up with me and Spitfire. It was all because Vinyl asked him to try and play nice with us. I just never thought that he would get angry over a little dance.

I now knew why she wanted to talk to Octavia. I knew that she was really the only person who could properly comfort her. But, I was here and Octavia was busy.

“Look Vinyl, if he doesn’t want to try, then he doesn’t deserve you. And if you ask me, he just make the biggest mistake of his life.”

“He didn’t dump me. I dumped him.”

“Why? What else happened?”

“He called me an idiot. He said that I had to be the biggest idiot if I chose the dance over him.”

“Vinyl, you are the furthest thing from an idiot. When Spitfire and I are off talking about some book, you are one of the only ponies that can keep up. In class you are the only one of us that really tries their hardest. And the way you can take any song, even ones that you’ve never heard before, and make it something amazing. is a stroke of genius. Vinyl, if anyone calls you an idiot, they are liars.”

Octavia came down in her make up. She saw that Vinyl stopped crying and was happy about that. I filled her in on what happened. She too was shocked. She pushed pass me to give Vinyl a hug.

“Vinyl,” She said while still hugging her, “if you don’t want to go out tonight, we don’t have to go.”

“I didn’t get called an idiot to not go out.”

The three of us laughed and Octavia took Vinyl upstairs to get her ready. When all the fillies we finally finished, we headed out. Octavia was still in her purple dress, but the make-up gave her an extra shine. Spitfire, had a longer blue dress, with a cut at the bottom to let one leg out. Cadence’s dress was long too. It reminded me of Celestia’s favorite dinner dress, mainly because it was of the colors. Vinyl’s dress was a bit more simple. It was white with pink accents and went a little bit below her knees.

We went outside to find an covered, elongated chariot  waiting for us. Somepony’s mom sent it to take us to the castle. It was a nice ride and Octavia got her wish, she got to enter with a bang. It dropped us in front of the gate and stepped out onto a red carpet. I walked Cadence and Octavia in and Shining took Vinyl and Spitfire.

“Look at you guys,” Celestia said as she saw us walk up the red carpet, “If only I had a camera.” As a joke, Celestia started trying to embarrass me. I didn’t mind, because I thought it was a little funny. “Hang on, Golden, you have a little smudge on your cheek.” She licked her finger and started rubbing it on my face.

“Mom, stop. You’re embarrassing me.” The other five and anypony behind us started giggling. I didn’t care, mainly because I knew it was a joke.

The gardens looked fantastic. It was decorated with our school’s colors and a few other things to match the 1920’s theme. The ponies already there were obviously having a great time. We immediately jumped in with the fun. We ate, drank, danced and enjoyed ourselves. When it came to the slow dances, Shining and I switched off between the four of them. A butler came out to the six of us with four envelopes. Shining, Spitfire, Octavia, and Vinyl took one. Each one had the same message and key to one of the bed rooms.

Honored Guest,

You are invited to stay the night her at Canterlot Castle. This message comes with a key to your room for the night. If you should chose to stay, your parents will be notified. Should you choose not to stay, please return the key to the butler that gave you this message.

-Princess Celestia

To mine and Cadence’s delight, they all decided to stay. We spent the rest of the night dancing and one by one we all retired to our rooms. First Spitfire, then Shining, then Cadence, and finally, Vinyl. 

“Thanks for your help today,” Vinyl said to me before leaving. She gave me a kiss on the cheek before she left.

Octavia and I were sitting at one of the tables.

“I swear, that was a true story,” I said. Octavia was cracking up at the story. 

“Oh Golden, this is why I love hanging out with you. You always know how to make me laugh. Well that and you keep away…”

“Hey sweet flank,” some colt said as he started massaging Octavia. She tried to fight him off, but he was persistent, “why don’t we find a maid’s bedroom and go until you’re senseless.”

“Gross,” She said still trying to fight him off.

“Come on, sweetie. You know you want to.”

“Your first mistake was calling me ‘sweet flank’. I’ll give you a hint, not a lot of us fillies like being called that.”

“Don’t be like that.”

“She said no. I suggest you leave before it gets even more embarrassing for you.”

“Oh, I see. You want your V-card stamped by a prince. Whatever. Just remember this when you find out about his ‘short comings’, you had your chance with me.” He walked away and we never saw him again. We laughed about it and it became an inside joke between us.

“Didn’t even look him in the eye. You ma’am are cold blooded.”

“I try.”

We heard the last call for dances. I stood up and offered her my hand. She took it and I lead her to the dance floor. It was a slow song and we started dancing.

“So, I have to ask you something,” Octavia said while we were dancing, “Do you ever feel attracted to me?”

“What? Why would you ask that?”

“I’ll go first if that makes you feel better. I, at one point, had a thing for you.”

“Really?”

“Why do you sound so shocked? You have to know that most of the fillies in our class talk about you.”

“Really?”

“Stop playing dumb.”

“I’m not playing. Why aren’t they all over me like they are with Shining?”

“I don’t know Prince Golden Shield.”

“Just because I’m a prince? No pony even calls me prince. My own mom, the princess herself, doesn't calls me prince.”

“Whether or not you are called a prince, you still are a prince. Do you know how intimidating that is?”

“I guess it would be. Wait, at one point?”

“Besides Vinyl, you are my best friend. If we dated and it didn’t work out, it would be weird between us. You’re friendship is worth way more to me than something that might not last. Alright, it’s your turn. Have you ever felt anything for me?”

“Octavia, you have to be blind and deaf to not feel anything for you. You are so beautiful that I didn’t notice you weren’t wearing make-up today. And not only that, but your voice is as beautiful as your cello. Anypony would be a fool to not fall for you.”

“So, do you still feel the same way?”

“To be honest, no. I felt the same way. You are one of my closest friends and I don’t want to do anything to ruin that. We haven’t even seen the fillies that Shining dated since they broke up. I never want that to happen to us.”

“Will you dip me to just being friends?”

“To just being friends,” I said as I dipped her.

I know that it may seem like lying, but I’m not. Octavia is somepony that I don’t want to lose and I know a relationship would ruin it.

I walked Octavia to her room. When her door shut I realized that Cadence was standing at her door watching us.

“So what happened?” she asked

“Nothing.”

“Come on Golden, level with me. You expect me to believe that you just spent the last ten minutes with somepony as hot as Octavia and you didn’t try anything. I even slipped the DJ a few bits for a slow song for you two”

“Yup. And you have to stop playing match maker.”

“It’s literally my cutie mark.”

“Fair enough. All we did was talk and we realized that neither of us wanted to ruin our friendship. We decided that it would be better if we stayed friends.”

“Fine, but I swear, I will get you two together.”

The rest of the year was normal. Shining dated a lot, and I mean a lot, of other fillies, Spitfire and I joined the hoofball team, Vinyl got over Bass, Octavia was named given first chair in the school’s symphonic band, and Cadence became the sophomore president. It was a productive year, but I’m glad that it’s over.

When the bell rang the six of us rushed to the castle to finally get some r&r. We came through the front door, threw our bags to the side and celebrated. Celestia came down to the lobby.

“Good afternoon, you guys. How do you feel now that the year is over?”

“Liberated.”

“Stress-free.”

“Like a burden has been lifted from my back.”

“Unbelievably happy.”

“Ecstatic!”

“I finally get the chance to relax,” Cadence said, almost falling to her knees.

“That’s good to hear. Oh and Cadence, guess who’s coming to visit for the summer.”

Her eyes grew big and her pupils shrank as she realized who was coming to Canterlot.

“Oh no.”

> Chapter 10: Arrival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This is bad! This is very, very bad!” Cadence was rushing around the room next to mine making sure everything is in order. She got the news that her twin brother, Prince Blueblood, is going to stay in Canterlot for the summer yesterday and she has been freaking out ever since. There was a small shimmer of hope that her parents were going to come too, but it was over shadowed by the fact that Blueblood is coming.  “Where is it? Why isn’t here? He is going to be so mad!” Cadence had ordered a gift basket for him, because it was what he requested.

I’ve only met him once when Cadence’s family came to celebrate her birthday last year. Prince Blueblood was, for lack of a better term, a royal pain. He was more of a duke rather than a prince, but he insists that ponies call him a prince, but that’s not the worst part about him. He had a sense of self entitlement that annoyed us. He always thought that he belonged and Canterlot instead of Cadence. You could always tell that he resented her for it, but he hates me even more. He says that I am undeserving of the title of prince and I should just leave. He of course was scolded for saying this, but it never stopped him from saying it again.

“It can’t be that bad,” Spitfire said trying to calm her down, “I mean he is your brother.” We were sitting in the room waiting for Cadence to finish. We wanted to help, but she said that she would be able to get the room ready by herself. Shining was the one not here because we didn’t want Twilight around Blueblood.

“Don’t remind me,” She said while still pacing waiting for the basket to arrive.

“Cadence and I don’t really like him,” I said.

“Hang on, Golden Shield doesn’t like somepony in the royal family?” Octavia said.

“His first words to me were ‘Oh good, the porter is here. Take my stuff to my room. And I swear, if a single article of clothing is missing I’m going to throw you into the royal dungeon.’ And then he threw a bit at my hooves.”

“I hate him just from that story,” Vinyl said with a bit of rage.

There was a knock at the door and Cadence jumped to answer it. The basket filled with Blueblood’s favorite conditioners, lotions, and other moisturizing products, all of them were made for mares. We tried to hold in our laughter when we saw the basket. Vinyl was the first to break and the rest of us broke and started laughing harder shortly after.

“Stop it!” Cadence said as she put the basket on the dresser, “I can’t have you laughing at his stuff when he gets here.” It was pointless, there was nothing she could do to stop us. She took another look at the basket and started giggling herself. “I guess it is pretty funny.”

Suddenly, we heard the fanfare through the door. Again, Cadence eyes grew and her pupils shrank.

“He’s here,” she said.

Cadences ran to the chariot landing area, just to make sure she was there before it landed. The rest of us walked, but we still made it there in time. The chariot with the two pegasi that took me to Canterlot was about to land. We could see Blueblood with his blonde mane blowing in the wind. He had a smug look on his face. Unfortunately, neither of Cadence’s parents were with him. There was something off about the whole thing. Towards the lower end of the chariot there was a strand of pale blonde hair. It was like his mane grew to down to his hooves, but that was impossible. We could see his short mane on his head. 

The fanfare played again as the chariot landed, but Blueblood wouldn’t get off until somepony announced him.

“Now presenting,” Cadence said reluctantly, “His majesty, the one and only, Prince Blueblood.”

“Somepony’s modest,” Vinyl whispered to me and we started to giggle.

“What was that?” He said. He was trying to restyle his mane after the long windy ride.

“So, how was your trip, brother?” Cadence said, trying to change the subject.

“Awful. The wind ruined my mane and it took way to long. It’s almost as if their feather brains don’t even know what faster means. Oh, and speaking of feathers, I was blowing them out of my face the entire time. How have you been, Cadie?”

“I’m doing…”

“There you are boy,” he said to me, “take my bags to my room. And remember, I’ll have your head if anything is missing.”

“Still not a porter, Blueblood.”

“Prince Blueblood to you.” He turned to the fillies and raised an eyebrow, trying to be seductive. “Well, who are these fine mares?”

“Not interested,” Spitfire said.

“Disgusted,” Octavia said.

“Not even in your dreams,” Vinyl said

“I’ll see you there,” He said in an almost creepy manner.

“Can somepony help me with my bags?” A feminine voice said from the chariot's direction.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw her. We didn’t see her on the chariot because she was sitting just to see the view, but I’m glad the first time I saw wasn’t with Blueblood. She was a pure white pegasus with pale blonde mane. She was wearing a dress that hugged her defined her perfect curves. Everything about her face seemed small. Her eyes, nose, mouth, even the face itself looked small, and pretty cute. Even while caring heavy suitcases filled with clothes, her walk was so light and graceful. It was like she was walking on gift bag paper and she didn’t want to tear it.

“Porter, help her.” Usually I would ignore an order from Blueblood, but this time I didn’t. I ran over to her and picked up her two bags. They were only filled with clothes, but they were heavy. She looked up at me and gave me a smile. Her perfect teeth were just as white as her coat and were perfectly straight.

“Hi,” she said. Her voice was as graceful as her walk. It was like Octavia’s family was playing an entire symphony and all of their instruments were in perfectly harmony. 

“Hi, I’m…” I was interrupted by the one thing that made my heart drop. The words pierced my ears like somepony had broken off my horn, cut it in half, and jammed each half into both ears.

“Sweetie, don’t talk to the help,” Blueblood said, “and don’t forget my bags, porter.”

She walked over to stand next to Blueblood. He put his arm around her, but it felt like he was putting his hands around my neck.

“Who’s this, Bluey?” Cadence asked with a mocking tone when she called him “Bluey”.

“Prince Blueblood! And this is my mare-friend, Angel.”

“It’s nice to meet all of you.” She said as she shook each of their hands. 

“Octavia. Charmed.”

“What’s up? I’m Spitfire.”

“Call me Vinyl.”

“Hi, my name is Cadence.”

“Wait, Cadence? Princess Cadence? Oh my goodness! Not even five minutes in Canterlot and I’m already talking to a princess.”

“Please don’t make a big fuss about it. As far as the ponies around here are concerned, I’m just another pony.”

“Enough with the introductions,” Blueblood said “Cadie, is that café that I like still open?”

“Yeah, but…”

“Good let’s go. Come along sweet heart.”

“Actually, I feel like relaxing a bit. Do you mind if we go to our rooms?”

“You can, but I’m still going to the Café with Cadie and her friends. Boy, take Miss. Angel to her room and deliver my belonging to my room. Also if there is nothing missing when I return, I’ll give you an extra bit.”

I rolled my eyes, but I didn’t argue. I just nodded my head and started towards Angel. I remembered the advice Cadence gave me when I first met Blueblood. The less you say to him the better off you are.

“This way,” I said to her. I started to walk off, but Cadence grabbed my arm.

“Give her Blueblood’s room and give him 273,” She whispered in my ear. Cadence was an expert in love, but she tried a bit harder with me for some reason. She could tell when I had strong feelings for somepony and she always tried to make something happen. At the same time, she knew that I was the type of pony to admit that I was in love, so she had to force a confession and giving her the room next to mine was her strategy this time.

“I’m not in…”

“Just shut up and do it!”

“Are we going to go or are we just stand here collecting dust? I’m not very fond of the second one,” Blueblood said impatiently.

“Oh, I almost forgot. I promised to hang with some members of the hoof ball team. I’ll see you guys later.” Spitfire started to fly away faster than I’ve ever seen her take off.

“And I should really practice. I have a big concert coming up,” Octavia said right before leaving.

“I promised to do a thing for a pony at a place,” Vinyl had already started to walk off as she said this, which added a bit of comic relief. Cadence knew our friends were lying, but she couldn’t blame them. I didn’t wait myself. I offered my arm to Angel while still holding one of her suitcases. She took it and we were off. On the way, I found three butlers, Giles, Wardsworth, and Lurch, and told them to take Blueblood’s stuff to room 273, which was code among the staff for the smallest room, but even that one was twice the size of Vinyl’s room.

Like so many ponies before her. She was in awe of the castle. Running a head just to see some small detail that I haven’t even given a second thought to. It was still entertaining to watch, but I only hoped that I won’t cry again. I was lucky enough that I didn’t. We reached Blueblood’s, now Angel’s, room. She was in awe of that too.

“Oh my,” she said when she found the gift basket after running around looking at every detail, “These are all my favorite products. How did you know?”

“Blueblood told us,”

“Sure,” She said, but it sounded like she didn’t believe me. “So, are you head butler, or porter, or do the other ponies just respect you.”

“What? Oh no, I don’t work here.”

“I’m sorry. I just assumed because you took my bags.”

“No, my mom just raised me to be a gentle-stallion.”

“She sounds like a lovely mare. You’re very lucky”

“Well, I’ll let you get settled in.”

“Thank you, Mr.…um. I’m sorry, but I never got your name.”

“Golden Shield.”

“Prince Golden Shield?”

“Yeah, but please don’t call me prince.”

“This is unbelievable! First I meet Princess Cadence, then I meet Prince Golden Shield! Who’s next? Princess Celestia herself?”

“You might. Dinner will be served at five-thirty. Wear something nice. I’ll be next door if you need anything.” I left the room and immediately went to my room, right next to her’s. I threw myself on the bed and started to feel depressed.

There was no lying to myself this time. I am in love with Angel. I loved everything about her. Her smile, her voice, her wings, the way she walked and I don’t even know her that well. But of course, there was one problem. She was dating the one stallion that I could not stand. I didn’t care if she was with Shining or even Lightning Arc, I just didn’t want her to be with him. He doesn’t deserve her. He didn’t even introduce her until she made herself known. It made me a little sick that the bad guy won this time.

“I thought I heard you,” Celestia said as she opened my door. She saw that I was face down in my bed and that I wasn’t feeling that great. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Golden, I’m your mom. You can’t lie to me.” I sighed as I realized that she was right.

“Have you ever been in love?” I question threw Celestia off a bit. She is over 1,000 years old. In that time, even if it was when she was a little filly, when she had to be in love. It might have been inappropriate to ask, but she wanted to know.

“It was a long time ago. I think I was about your age when it happened. I wasn’t like you. My parents wanted to keep me inside and focus on becoming the ruler when I came of age. I of course didn’t want that, so I took advantage of every moment I got out of the castle. While taking in the sights, I accidently knocked over an onion farmer’s bushel. He was kind, sweet, and friendly. We hit it off right away. He didn’t care that I was a princess and I didn’t care that he was a farmer. We loved each other for what we saw in one another. He was my first kiss and I was his. My parents did not approve. I had to sneak out just to see him. One day out of nowhere, his family disappeared and I never saw him again, but I never forgot him.”

“Wow, I never thought of you as a little filly.”

“No kid ever does. Now, who is this lucky filly?”

“Angel.”

“Who’s Angel?”

“Blueblood’s mare-friend.”

“Oh…,” Celestia was at a loss for words. Although older, Celestia was nowhere near the love expert Cadence was. She only really had that one experience to go off of and that couldn’t help me right now. “Do you really love her?”

That was a question that I’ve thought about before, but never with Angel. I, of course, had crushes on fillies at school, but what Cadence always say about love. If you truly love somepony, you would want to spend the rest of your life with them. I always asked myself if that’s what I wanted in my future. The answer has always been no, but there is something different about Angel.

“Yes,” I said after think about it after a while.

“Then if she loves you, she’ll want to be with you, but if she loves Blueblood, you can’t intervene.”

“Thanks, mom. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Now, I need to do some work. I’ll see you at dinner?”

“Always.”

Celestia left my room and I started to wonder what I was going to do next. I first put on a record and sat back. I was fine with just listening to it until dinner, but then there was a knock at my door. I waked to the door, wondering who would be knocking. I opened the door to find Angel standing there.

“Sorry,” she said, “did I disturb you?”

“Oh, no. I was just listening to some music. What’s up?”

“I was just hoping that you could show me around town.”

“Why don’t you wait for Blueblood to get back?”

“You know he won’t be back for a while. Please, Prince Golden Shield. I’ve always wanted to see Canterlot and I want say that I got a personal tour from a member of the royal family.”

“Alright,” I said with a smile on my face. I closed the door behind me and we were off.

I didn’t want to spend time with Angel. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep my feelings about her, but I did know that I wanted to tell her everything. How it was love at first sight. How much of a jerk her colt-friend is. How I want her to stay in Canterlot instead of returning to Fillydelpha. Every thought that I ever had about her wanted to come out. Not only that, but walking with her was just a tease. I would be happy if I could just hold her hand, but I can’t intervene between her and Blueblood. It was like teasing a young foal with promises of ice cream. That foal would bend for it, but they can never get it.

Besides all of that, we had a great time. Angel loved going into every building and just taking the city in. The sights, the sounds, even the rude pony who didn’t feel like taking a step to the side to avoid other ponies on the sidewalk. As we walking around the city, we got to know each other pretty well.

Angel is kind, intelligent, and a little bit goofy. She was able to hold a conversation without even trying. She has a personality like no other. Just talking to her for five minutes and you want to be her best friend. You would even feel a little sad when she said goodbye, because you knew that one ray of sunshine has temporally left your life. Needless to say, that she turned some heads while walking down the street, but she was modest about it. She didn’t try to show off her perfect body or use her looks to get ponies to do things for her.

“So, what’s your story? How did you become Princess Celestia’s son?” I took her to the park to rest. We found my favorite tree and leaned back in its shade.

“You don’t want to hear that story.”

“Sure I do. When do I ever get the chance to pick a prince’s brain again? Please Prince Golden.”

“Don’t call me Prince. Golden is fine.”

“Please Golden.”

“Alright, but I warned you.” I told her my story. I talked about the forest, the night terrors, how I’m not even sure if Golden Shield is my real name. But I also talked about the good things that happened to me. I told her about how Celestia found me, how I became friends with everypony else, and how I was glad that all of this happened.

“You poor soul.” She said after I finished. She grabbed my hand sending me a message that she was going to be there for me, but I didn’t care about that. Even if it was out of pity and not love, I still held her hand. I realized that it we had to go and get ready for dinner. I walked her home and to her room. 

I walked Angel and Cadence into the dining room and led them to our table. Blueblood requested his own table near the front table. He took the foals table, but he forced some servants to bring in a taller table. Poor foals. I always remembered having a great time with Cadence and any other foal that happened to sit with us. I tried to take Angel to his table, but he wanted eat alone. I took Angel to eat with us, but she didn’t mind.

“You guys have no idea how bad today was,” Cadence said. “I couldn’t wait to get away from Bluey. How do you put up with it Angel?”

“It’s just something that I have to do.”

“Enough about ‘Bluey’,” I said and started to propose a toast, “to us, our health, and our new friend, Angel.”

The rest of dinner was the best I’ve ever been to. Angel was a major hit and she loved everyone at the table. We traded stories, told jokes and just enjoyed ourselves. I think Cadence enjoyed herself the most, knowing that she didn’t have to put up with Blueblood for the rest of the day. She did beg us not to leave her alone with him again. After desert, which was Chef Celery Stalk’s signature tiramisu, Princess Celestia came to our table.

“Good evening, foals.” Angel didn’t know what to say.

“Say ‘hello’,” I whispered to her.

“H-hello.” She said after gulping.

“You must be Angel. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Princess Celestia. Please, my little pony, don’t be afraid of me. Your new friends can even tell you that I don’t bite.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“How are you enjoying your stay?”

“It’s been prefect, Princess. Kind ponies, great food, and even an extremely comfortable bedrooms.”

“I’m glad that you are enjoying yourself. If there is anything that you need, please don’t be afraid to ask.”

“I would actually love a tour of the Castle,” Angel said without missing a beat.

“Golden would be happy to give it, Auntie Celestia,” Cadence said when she was an opportunity for us to be alone. I rolled my eyes, knowing what Cadence was trying to do. Although I already admitted it to Celestia, I wasn’t willing to say anything about it to Cadence. She would just gloat.

“That’s an excellent idea, Cadence. Who better to show somepony around the castle than somepony who lives in it? Golden, do you mind.” 

“No,” I said while hiding my content for Cadence. I didn’t want to be alone with Angel again. I consider myself lucky that I didn’t say anything about my feeling today, I doubt that I would be able to do it again. At the same time, I’ve never disobeyed my mom, as a sign of respect towards her. “Whenever you want to go, I’m ready.”

“Can we go now?” Angel asked looking more excited than I’ve ever seen her. I looked to Blueblood’s table and saw that he had left without even touching his desert. I had a moment of relief knowing that he won’t watch us walk off, but that feeling was replaced by the thought of him lurking anywhere in the castle. He was somewhat a creature of habit. He would always take a shower after dinner, but anypony could really guess what he would do next.

We walked out of the dining room to start the tour. I looked over to Cadence before I left and she mouthed “You’re welcome” to me. She knew that I was cursing her instead of thanking her, but she thinks that she’s doing the right thing. I thought that she was doing the wrong thing. Celestia was right. I can’t get in between Angel and Blueblood, no matter how much I wanted to be with her.

I took her everywhere in the castle. The library, game room, sunroom, garden, and even our animal care center. There was a recently abandoned baby phoenix. Angel wanted me to keep it and raise it. I didn’t want to at first, but she talked me into it, but I also had to convince Celestia. The tour ended with a view of Canterlot from the tower balcony.

“Oh…my…” she said looking over the edge. Besides the mountain, the tower is highest point in all of Canterlot. You could see every part of Canterlot and see most of Ponyville.

“Impressive isn’t it?”

“It’s more than impressive. It’s…It’s…I don’t even know what it is!”

“There are times when I come out here and just look out on all the ponies and wonder what they’re doing. I wonder what everypony did today they are and hope they are happy.” We were both looking over the edge onto the city.

“Can I ask you something, Golden?” We turned to each other. I turned just to gaze into her eyes. They were a strong orange, and I loved them. It was like looking up at the sky just as the sun is setting even though it was the dead of night.

“Fire away.”

“Does anypony else get to see this?”

“Just members of the royal family. We did have somepony who propose up here, but that’s about it.”

“Really?”

“It would be the perfect place for you and Blueblood. Just a nice isolated place where no pony can see.” 

“I thought you said the only members of the royal family were allowed up here.”

“You don’t think that he’s a part of the royal family?”

“Please, he only calls himself a prince because of Cadence. He’s no more a prince than my father.”

“I’ll be sure to tell the guards.” We laughed at that, but neither of us were able to tell why. “I have to ask you something that’s been killing me.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you with a jerk like Blueblood? He didn’t want to spend the day with you, he didn’t want to see you when you got back, he didn’t even want to have dinner with you. I don’t mean that to poke around in your love life, but you could do so much better.” It felt good to get that off my chest, but I almost feared of the backlash.

“Do you really think I can do better?”

“You really could.”

“Is this better?”

She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. I was shocked at first and took a few steps back when our lips first met. I didn’t know what was going on and it took me a second to process it. When I figured out what was happening, I kissed her back. Angel stole my first kiss from me, but I'm glad it was her out of anypony.

“That was nice,” she said when our lips finally came apart. “You’ve kissed other mares, I could tell, you player you.”

“You’re the first.”

“You’re my first kiss too.”

“Haven’t you kissed Blueblood before?”

“I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I’m not really with Blueblood. He asked me to a school dance once and I said yes out of pity. Since then, he’s been saying that we’re going out.”

“So why didn’t you tell him?”

“Because I wanted to see Canterlot ever since I was a little filly. Blueblood promised to take me, so I have to play along.”

“So why don’t you tell him now?”

“He’ll leave me here, I know it. Plus, you do not want to see what happens when you break up with Blueblood. A new filly at our school dated him for twenty minutes and then he went on a public tirade. So you understand that if anything were to happen between us, we can’t say a word to anypony. Not your friends, not a guard, not even Princess Celesta.”

It almost hurt to know that she wanted to keep it a secret. When I first saw Angel, I wanted to shout from right there that I loved Angel and she loved me. When she kissed me, I really wanted to do it. But then I thought of something that Cadence told me. If you are in love, you’re willing to do anything for them. I asked myself if I really was willing to do anything for her. I did, and if it meant that I had to sneak around to be with her, then so be it.

“I don’t know, I might need a little extra convincing…” Neither of us really needed another reason to kiss. There was something that made that second kiss a little more magical and better than the first.

“I thought that one was better,” she said. I realized that my horn was glowing. It’s something that happens to unicorns when they have feelings for somepony. It makes everything, from holding hands to the manticore with two backs, feel just a little more special.

“And I thought you look way more beautiful than normal, which I thought was impossible.” I was referring to her extended wings. Like unicorns, there something that happens in a pegasus’s body that makes being in love a little more special. Their bodies can’t always know how to handle it, so their wings extend in hopes of burning it off.

Her wings were more magnificent than any other pony that I know. In reality, her wings were exactly like Spitfire’s or Lightning Arc’s and they were exactly like a smaller version of Celestia’s, but her wings were more beautiful than all of theirs put together. There was a very small chance that it was the magic talking, but I’ve thought of it before.

We waited until midnight to return to our rooms. It was mainly to make sure that no pony saw us, a part from the guards who couldn’t care less about what two foals do. All we did was look out at the city while I held her. We didn’t really say anything to each other, but we didn’t need to. It was amazing just standing there watching the glow of the city. I’ve seen it many times from my own room, but watching it with somepony made it special.

We walked back to our rooms with smiles on our faces and holding hands. We tried to make sure that not to make a noise, just to be sure not wake any other pony. I even used my magic to make sure the door doesn’t squeak.

“See you in the morning,” She said with a smile on her face bigger than I’ve ever seen. I turned around and Cadence was standing there, which caused me to jump back.

“Don’t do that,” I said when I realized that Cadence was there.

“So, how did it go? Did you two fall in love?”

“Nope. She’s with Blueblood and they are happy together. I can’t interfere no matter what. Besides, she’s just another filly.” It killed me to say that and I hopped that Angel wasn’t listening.

“You say that now, but you’ll turn. One day, maybe tomorrow, you’ll know that she’s the one. I know it, our friends know it, I even think that Angel knows it a little bit. Just give it time, Golden, you’ll know it too.”

“Please Cadence. I don’t want Blueblood’s seconds. He kinda ruined her for me.” I would much rather slit my own wrists then say anything close to that again. “Good night, Cadence.”

“Good night, Golden.”

I looked out into the city one more time before I went to sleep. It still had the same something that it did on the balcony. I knew that Angel was looking at it too.

“Angel, can you hear me?” There was no response at first.

“Yeah,” She finally said. She sounded a little hurt and I think I knew why.

“Did you hear anything that I said to Cadence?”

“All of it.”

“I didn’t mean a word of it, I swear. I don’t care who you were with before me. I want to be with you because I like you.”

“I know Golden. It still hurts. I know I was the one who wanted to keep it a secret. I should have known what would happen.”

“I’m sorry, Angel, I really am.”

“Don’t be I know you didn’t mean it.”

“Will you two shut up! I’m tryin’ to sleep!” Vinyl shouted from her room, which I guess Celestia offered. I was a little scared that Vinyl found out about us, but then I thought about it. We probably woke her up and she never heard a word we said us.

“Good night, Angel.”

“Good night, Golden.”

I went to bed feeling good and bad. On one hand, I knew that the mare I loved, at least liked me back. It felt so good knowing that somepony loved me. On the other hand, I just hurt the pony I loved. I didn’t mean it and she knew that I didn’t, but it still sucked.

Still I went to bed that night and had a dream. It was a simple dream, but I still loved it. It was just me and Angel standing on the balcony. I was holding her again and we were watching the city, taking our gaze away only to watch the waterfall. My mom was there too. She was shooting light towards the water to make rainbows. Like I said, it was simple and I loved. A part of me wished that it was real and that we really could be together with everypony knowing, but I had to be patient.

Weeks went by and they were more or less the same. The six of us hung out whenever we could, sometimes with Angel, sometimes with Blueblood, sometimes both. We didn’t let Twilight hang out with us when Blueblood was with us, but she did eventually meet Angel. They ended up liking each other and Angel didn’t mind playing with a little kid. Every night after dinner, Angel and I would sneak up to the balcony. I ordered the guards not to let anypony up there while we are and not to tell anypony who gave them their orders.

One of my favorite parts of the day was when we could sneak off. It didn’t matter if we went to the café, or the park, or even just at the balcony, I was happy to be with her and she was happy to be with me. I could just look into her eyes and just see everything we had and everything we were going to have. I know that she was my soul mate. I didn’t care if she with Blueblood or if she lived a three hour train ride away, I wanted to be with her.

Even though I couldn’t tell anypony, I was happy. That all started to change one night. We were sitting there about to receive our main course, when Giles, the castle’s head butler, came to our table.

“Sir Blueblood has requested Mrs. Angel to appear at his table,” he said in a Trottingham accent. Giles was both comforting and a tad creepy, but he was one of my favorite staff members, as he was the only one that could keep up with our jokes.

“Really, he wants to be seen with me?” Angel said. We were all shocked that Blueblood was willing to share his table with somepony

“There’s a first and last time for everything,” Giles said before he left. Angel got up to see what Blueblood wanted. 

We all thought that she was just going to be a minute at the most, but then she sat down. She spent the rest of the night there, even left with him. The worst part is that they looked like a real couple. There was a look in Blueblood’s eye that I’ve never seen before. It was almost a look of real affection for another pony.

“Well it looks like he really does like her,” Shining said “You weren’t lying, Cadence.”

“For the last time, I do not have a crush on Angel. I don’t know why you insist that I do.”

“I wasn’t talking about you,” Cadence said, “Blueblood really does like Angel. I know that it doesn’t look like it most of the time, but he’s told me how she makes him feel. He says that he gets lost in her eyes and she makes him feel like he’s good enough for her. That’s why he tries so hard to be a prince, so he can feel like he’s good enough.”

“I still don’t think he deserves her,” I said, “On their first day, he left her to go to some café where he got a cup of coffee that he said had too much sugar.”

“What’s with the obsession with Angel?” Spitfire asked, “If I didn’t know any better, I would say that you do have a crush on her.”

“I do not! I don’t care who she’s with, so long as it’s not Blueblood.”

“Oh yes you do,” Vinyl said. I was worried that she did her us all those weeks ago. “Watch I’ll prove it. Octavia, use your weird powers to figure out if he’s lying.”

“He’s not,” Octavia said. This shocked all of us because Octavia could always tell when somepony is lying. I was of course lying, but it was surprising that she didn’t catch it. “I’ve known for about two weeks. Every time he says that he doesn’t, he looks normal. Same amount of eye contact, doesn’t rub his neck, doesn’t use his hands, he doesn’t show any of his tells.”

“I guess you don’t,” Spitfire said. 

We didn’t talk about anypony’s love life, well except for Fleur De Lis and Fancy Pants. I couldn’t stop thinking about Angel and if she was really falling for Blueblood. I thought I was being an idiot. I went to the balcony, knowing that she would show up sometime that night. I waited for hours, but she never showed up. I feared that I was right, and she had started to fall for Blueblood, but I couldn’t understand how. He was a dressed up brute at his best.

I walked back to my room feeling depressed. As I got to the hallway considering knocking on Angel’s door tell her the truth. I love her and I never want to see her with anypony else. As I walked towards her door, I saw Cadence sitting outside mine.

“What’s up?” I asked her.

“Angel’s in there. I saw her trying to get in and we talked. She says it’s personal and that she trusts you the most. She only wants to talk to you. Golden, you have to be completely honest with me. Do you like her?”

“No. I love her. She’s the one mare that I can’t stop thinking about. She’s my first and last thought every day. I wake up excited to see her and I go to bed replaying her voice in my head. It kills every day to think that she’s with that jerk. I’m head over hooves in love with her.”

Cadence did say anything at first. All she did was hug and started to pat my back. She knew that I was really hurt that she was with Blueblood. 

“Go in there and tell her everything you said to me. If she really does love you, she’ll tell you right there.”

“Thanks, Cadence.”

I opened the door to find Angel sitting on my bed crying. When she saw me, she got up and hugged me. She started crying harder than before and I started crying too. For the first time in my life, I knew what Celestia felt when I cried. Somepony that you cared for hurt and there was nothing that I could do.

“What happened Angel? What did he do to you?”

“He called me over the table and reminded me that we met one and a half years ago. He wanted to celebrate and have dinner together. Blueblood was a gentle-colt for once and always put me first. He took me back to his room, he said to see the view from his room. When we got back, he pulled out…that…” She pointed to something on my nightstand. I walked over there and saw that there was a condom. I was speechless.

“What happened next?”

“I told him no. I told him that the first time wanted to be with some colt that I loved. I didn’t mean to say it, but he took it as if I didn’t want to be with him. He started to put the piece together and…he knows. I told him everything, I had to. He threatened to hit me. I’m so sorry, Golden. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Angel. I don’t care who knows. I don’t care if everypony wants my head on a stick. I don’t care about what anypony else thinks. I love you Angel. I love you more than I love waking up every day. Angel, you are always on my mind and in my dreams. Angel, I couldn’t stand to even see you at that table with him killed me. I want to be with you for the rest of our lives.”

“I love you too,” She said after a long pause. At first I thought that she as freaked out and that she was going to leave right there. I thought that I had ruined my first real relationship. “I knew from the first time I saw you, I fell in love with you. I know the whole love at first sight is corny, but I don’t care. There was something about you that I couldn’t put my finger on. The more time I spent with you, the more I figured it out. I loved you for your personality. I loved you because you cared for me and all of your friends. I didn’t care that you were a prince or that you knew royalty. You could have been, I don’t know, an onion farmer and I still would have loved you. That night was the best night of my life. Every time that I was away from you or when we tried to cover up our relationship, I died a little inside. I love you so much Golden.”

In that moment, we looked into each other’s eyes. We kissed each other more passionate than ever before. My horn wasn’t glowing and her wings weren’t extended. There was nothing making this more special, just us.

“Can I sleep here tonight?”

All I did was smile. We stayed up talking about us. Where we saw ourselves, if we could handle a long distance relationship, how often we would be able to see each other. We finally went to bed and feel asleep at the same time.

I woke up to me holding her close, the way Celestia held me when I was young. It felt good to hold her, but I knew there was something I had to do. I got dressed and stormed off to Blueblood’s room and banged on his door.

“Blueblood! We need to talk!” I head some shuffling and I knew that I just woke him up. 

“What do you want, porter?” My first instinct was to punch him, but something held me back.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”

“Trying to get some beauty sleep after an intense night with my mare-friend. Why do you care?”

“Because that ‘mare-friend’ just spent the night in my room crying because you tried to force yourself on her. You are scum, you know that. You just threw away any chance of love with an amazing mare like Angel all because you wanted sex. I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

“Please what do you know about love, porter? You’re surrounded by ponies at least twice your age all day. The closest thing you have to even a chance for love is Cadie, but she would never go for the help. She, just like Angel, is way too good for you. So why don’t you walk away before you hurt yourself.”

I balled my hands into a fist and was ready to punch him. He even started to cower.

“Golden!” Captain Iron Side said before I could do anything. “Come with me.” He had a look on his face I’ve only seen a few times. The last time I saw it was when a high ranking platoon screwed up. I followed him to his office in the castle and he told me to sit down. I obeyed without questions. A little out of respect and a lot out of fear. 

“I’m sorry, Captain.”

“What were you thinking? You can’t go around punching people.”

“You don’t understand, Captain, he deserves it.”

“No pony really deserves it, son. No matter what they do, no matter what they say, no matter who they are, no pony deserves it.”

“He does.”

“Alright, I’ll bite. Why does he deserve it?”

I told him everything that happened. Angel, that night on the balcony, last night. I didn’t think that he would understand.

“I completely understand. I know what’s it’s like to love somepony. I would do anything for my wife, but I would never hurt another pony. You have to learn something, son, there are awful despicable ponies out there. There are some that you can just shrug off, there are some that will lie and cheat to get what they want, and there are some that you never want to see again. All you have to do is remember the good ponies in your life. Remember the ponies that make you smile."

I thought of Octavia and Twilight

“Remember the ponies that have your back.”

I thought of Shining.

“Remember the ponies who trust you the most”

I thought of Vinyl.

“Remember the ponies who are willing to accept you for who you are.”

I thought of Spitfire

“Remember the ponies who love you unconditionally.”

I thought of Celestia and Angel

“Alright, son, I’m willing to pretend this never happened if you are.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Get out of here and go have fun.”

I knew that I had to face the music sooner or later. I decided to go back to my room and wait for Angel to wake up. I wasn’t going to hide what I did to anypony. Besides, I heard that relationships are built on trust. She was already awake when I got back.

“Good morning,” She said. “How did you sleep?”

“There’s something that I need to tell you.”

“Me too. If Blueblood knows, I think that we should stop hiding it. It would only be a matter of time before everypony knew so might as well. Now what did you want to tell me.”

“I almost punched Blueblood.” I went into full detail on what happened. When I finished she jumped up and hugged me.

“Thanks for standing up for me,” she said. “I promise that I won’t even give him a second thought. Now if you excuse me, I have to go get ready for today.”

In that moment, I knew that no matter what happened, we were going to be together for a long time.
> Chapter 11: Birthday
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What about tonight at dinner?”

“We’re not going to dinner tonight. Octavia has her first solo concert tonight and we have to be there. We could do it the next night.” 

We were in the personal breakfast nook waiting for our food. Cadence had left early to help Octavia get ready and I didn’t really care where Blueblood was. He could have walked in right there and I would have bragged about everything. 

“I almost forgot about the concert. We could tell them afterwards, but it’s her night, not ours. Ugh, why is this so hard to figure out?”

“Good morning you two,” Celestia said when she entered the room. Celestia wasn’t a fool. She could obviously read between the lines. I’m almost positive that she figured it out when I told her when Angel first came to Canterlot, but she doesn’t really pry into my personal life. She even told me that if I didn’t want her to know, she won’t ask. “So, what’s on your minds?”

“Do you want to tell her?” Angel asked. I was surprised a bit. I thought that she might have wanted to be a little more secretive when it came to adults, but I guess not.

“What do you think?”

“Might as well, I wrote to my parents about us weeks ago. I think it’s fair that your mom should know.”

“Is somepony going to tell me?” Princess Celestia said, although she already knew what I was about to say.

“Angel and I decided to make it official. She’s my mare-friend.” I said with a smile. I looked at her and she smiled back.

“And he’s my colt-friend.” Angel said

“What about Blueblood?” Celestia asked, but she was just doing it out of kindness and was really happy for us.

“We broke up last night. He wasn’t the gentle-stallion that you raised.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. It’s always nice to see young love. I must warn you of one thing. There are many ponies who think they’re in love, especially at your age. There are ponies who make plans for years to come and never think of anything else, only to find out that they were not meant to be. I, however, look at you two and see the opposite. I see two ponies who found each other at a young age and will be happy to wake up next to each other in the morning. I see two ponies who will always think of each other in their times of need. I see two ponies that will be very happy for a long, long time.”

“Thanks mom.”

“My pleasure dear. I’m going to let you two enjoy each other’s company. But before I go…” Celestia licked her thumb and started to rub my cheek with it. “You’ve got a little smug on your cheek.”

“Mom…” Angel started giggling, but I would too if I was in her hooves.

Angel and I talked a little more, but couldn’t really come up with a good time to tell my friends. We decided to just wait for the right time. We figured that we would know the right time. We went to the park to meet up and play with Twilight and Shining.

Angel and Twilight got along like sisters. Angel didn’t mind playing dolls, dress-up, and a few other things that took Shining some convincing to do. She did have a little sister in Fillydelpha who was almost exactly like Twilight, or so we’re told. It was refreshing to see somepony who was willing to take the time just to make sure that a young filly was happy.

We played for a while, but had to go back to get ready for the concert. After a shower, I put on the suit I wore for homecoming. The only difference this time was a pink bow tie that the castle’s tailor made by accident. She mixed up the colors between the bow tie and Spitfire’s dress. I ended up just wearing a regular black tie, which ended matching Shining’s. I kept the bow tie because Octavia thought it was cute and almost begged me to keep it.

Angel decided to wear the same dress she wore on the first day. It looked just as beautiful as before. It was a green dress that, again, hugged her curves. It was strapless and stopped above the ankles. Her makeup and mane were done perfectly. I wasn’t sure if the castle’s personal mane dresser and makeup specialist had anything to do with it, but I didn’t really care. It reminded me of when I saw Octavia in her dress. They were obviously different and the ponies wearing the dress had two different personalities, but there was something similar.

“You look stunning,” I said after getting a good look at her.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Mister Bow Tie.”

We walked to the theater where Octavia was playing. It was a short walk, as was every important building in Canterlot. You could really walk towards the castle and take, at the most, ten minutes to get there. The theater was thankfully around the corner. Angel wanted to show off a bit, so she didn’t mind walking.

The lobby was packed with ponies. Some of them were ponies everypony should know, like Velvet Gown, the most successful dress maker in Equestria. Some were scholars and philosophers. Most were elite ponies who I’ve recognized as Princess Celestia’s personal dinner guests. Finally there was the few that were lucky to get tickets and of course Octavia’s personal guests.

As I looked around, I realized that this was Octavia’s first public performance. She has played for the school and other small functions, such as birthdays, but she has never played for this many ponies. Not only this many ponies, but ponies of such importance. These were the ponies that could make or break her future.

“Oh good,” Cadence said when she found us. She too was wearing her dress from Homecoming. “Octavia needs you. Come with me.”

Cadence took us back stage. Vinyl was back there banging on Octavia’s dressing room door. Shining and Spitfire were there, trying to explain to Twilight what was happening.

“Come on, Octavia! Let me in! We’re here to help!” Vinyl said while she continued to bang on the door.

“What’s wrong?” Angel asked.

“Octavia is getting last minute stage fright,” Cadence started to explain to us, “She doesn’t want to go out and play. We need to get her out there in five minutes or else she’s done.”

“She doesn’t seem like the pony to get stage fright,” Angel said.

“She’s not.” I moved Vinyl out of the way and knocked on the door myself. “Octavia, it’s Golden.” There was silence at first. “We just want to help. Please Octavia.” I heard the door unlock and everypony’s face lit up with excitement. The door didn’t open completely and we didn’t see her face. She quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me in. She slammed the door shut and locked it and started to hug me. This was done in all one slick motion, which would have impressed me if I knew something was wrong.

“I can’t go out there, Golden. I just can’t do it.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” I started to hug her back.

“There are too many ponies and I’m not good enough. They’re going to hate me.”

“What makes you think that?”

She sat down at her vanity and look at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a new dress. It was the same purple that matched her eyes and the same elbow high gloves as Homecoming, but the dress was longer and limited the walking. She tried not to cry, as she was already in full makeup and didn’t want to ruin her mascara.

“All day when I was practicing, nothing was good. I kept playing the wrong note or I just didn’t like it. And if there is something that my parents have taught me, it’s that no pony will like unless you do. I can’t go out there Golden. I’m going to be the laughing stalk of Canterlot.”

There was a bit of silence as I tried to come up with something to say to her. This has never really happened to her before, but she has never really played in front of this many ponies.

“Octavia, you are good enough. Do you remember when I was sick and you played a personal concert for in my room. I thought that there was no way for you to be any better than that performance. I thought that no matter how hard you practiced, that would be your best performance ever. Every time you pick up a cello, you prove me wrong. I’m glad that you do, Octavia.”

“Thanks for trying, Golden, but I still can’t do it. I can play for just you guys. You are all my best friends and if I mess up in front of you, then you won’t judge me that much and I can just keep playing. If I mess up out there, than my entire career could be over before it ever starts. I just can’t do it Golden. Please, go out there and tell them that it’s over.” 

“Octavia, you have to try. Sure you could mess up, but you won’t. You’re Octavia Melody, the best cello player in all of Equestria and tonight is the night to prove it. I’ve never known you to run away from a challenge before and I don’t know why would now. And don’t think of these ponies ‘ruining’ your career. You’re not here for them. You’re not here for me. You’re not here for Vinyl or Cadence or anypony outside that door. You’re doing it for you. You’re right, Octavia, you’re here to make your career.”

There was a moment of silence again. She really let what I said sink in and took a moment to think about it. She then hugged me again.

“Thank you for trying, but I still can’t get out there. I just can’t shake this feeling that I’m going to mess up.”

“Okay, here’s what I’m going to do.” I took off my bow tie and tied it around her arm. She looked confused. “Whenever you feel like you’re going to mess up, think of this bow tie. I want you to remember that no matter what happens, no matter if you do mess up, I will still love everything you do.”

“Wow, thank you Golden. I think this is the nicest thing you have ever done for me.” She started to look at me with a look that I’ve never seen before. There was a knock at the door that broke her trance.

“Miss Octavia, are you ready?” said a muffled voice.

“I’ll be out in a minute. You should go find your seat.”

I left the room and saw that the others had already left. I made my way to the seats and quickly found where my friends were sitting. Spitfire and Shining were on the ends. Angel and Vinyl were sitting next to an empty seat, which was my seat.

“Where’s your bow tie?” Angel asked as I sat down.

“Octavia needed it more than I did.” The lights went down and there was a small applause as the show started.

Octavia walked out onto stage. The lights made her dress shimmer, but nothing stood out more than my bow tie. It didn’t matter though, everypony was still in awe of the dress itself. She sat down, took in a deep breath, and started playing. She started off with Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. I thought it was a special thank you to me, but I couldn’t be sure. The rest of her set was similar to the one that she played for me when I was sick. She started going off that set and transitioned into a recent pop song. I noticed ponies, even Angel, tapping their hooves and trying to sing along. The concert ended with a song that she made herself. There was roar of applause when she finished. Ponies were cheering for an encore or throwing flowers on the stage. Octavia took a bow.

“Thank you, everypony,” She said when she was handed a microphone. “This is a dream come true, and I’m so excited that it happened at such a young age. There are a few ponies I want to recognize for helping me reach this dream. First, my parents for giving this opportunity. You two love and support me so much and I just want to say thank you. A big thanks to all of my friends. Thank you for putting up with me today and listening to my many mistakes. Finally, I want to give my biggest thank you to Prince Golden Shield. If it wasn’t for you, Golden, I wouldn’t have played tonight.”

There was another, much louder round of applause as Octavia took another bow and walked off the stage and to her dressing room. Shining had to leave immediately to take Twilight home and Spitfire decided to tag along. The rest of us went backstage to meet up with Octavia. We knocked on her door and she answered immediately, still wearing her dress.

“That was amazing, Octavia!” Vinyl said as she gave her a hug and picked her up.

“Thanks…Vinyl.” Octavia was trying to get a breath of air.

“You might want to let her breathe, Vinyl,” I said.

“Sorry. I’m just so proud of her.” Vinyl put Octavia down and we spent most of the night in her dressing room. We sat, joked around and just talked. Angel and I were able to keep our big news to ourselves. She did tell that she broke up with Blueblood. The mares congratulated her as they told her everything wrong with him, which she already knew. Vinyl was the first to leave. Cadence and Angel went to the restroom together shortly after. I never understood why mares always go to the restroom together. This left me and Octavia alone in her room, something that I wanted to avoid.

I’m not an idiot or blind. Octavia had started to like me. She has never really liked anypony to the point where you could call it an attraction. I put it all together and made the connection. I’ve thought about it before. Octavia is very beautiful, that’s something that no pony can deny, and we get along well, but I’ve never really been that attracted to her.

“I guess I should give this back,” Octavia said as she started to untie the bow tie. I had almost completely forgotten about it.

“You keep it,” I said before she was able to undo the bow, “It looks better on you.” She started to blush and I was kicking myself for saying that.

“Golden, we need to talk about us.” 

Please walk through that door, Angel.

“I know that you know that I’m might be developing some sort of love towards you,”

Please tell me that Vinyl left her sunglass and she’s about to get them back.

“We’ve talked about this before and…”

I’ll even settle for Blueblood. I’m not kidding, that’s how desperate I am.

“I need to know something and I need the truth from you.”

Should I fake a stomach ace? Say I should go? Do I need to use the restroom? I just need something that will stop this conversation.

“Are you in love with Angel?”

“What?”

“I need to know if you’re in love with Angel. If you’re in love with another pony, then I’ll know that I can’t have you and all romantic feeling will die. Are you in love with Angel?”

“Yes,” I said softly. The tension in the room was almost tangible. There was an uncomfortable silence. I noticed a tear run down Octavia’s face, but she was smiling at the same time. Octavia started laughing, but I didn’t understand why.

“Thank you, Golden.” We didn’t really talk about anything important after that. It was just Octavia’s chance to fix any make-up she needed to.

When they came back, Cadence was laughing and Angel was smiling and glowing a bit. 

“Sorry Golden, but I couldn’t keep it in. I just had to tell her,” Angel said.

“Tell her what? Octavia asked. Angel took a seat next to me. Octavia didn’t need me to say it. She could obviously see the attraction between us. I like to think that she always knew. Like I said before, Octavia knows when to strike. She was just a little late this time.

We told Cadence and Octavia everything. The first night, how many times we snuck off, even what happened last night. It was nice to know that my friends accepted our relationship. 

Octavia’s parents walked her home and Angel, Cadence, and I were able to walk home by ourselves. Angel and I held hands the entire way, and I never wanted to let it go. I didn’t want that entire walk to end. Angel and I kissed each other good night and I tried to go to sleep, tried being the key work.

I had this big ball of guilt in me. Even if it was only for a few hours, Octavia had genuine feelings for me and I’m almost positive that she still does. It must kill her to find out that I’m not available. Then again, this could all just be in my head and I could just be feeding my ego. I did eventually fall asleep, but not without a lump in my stomach.

When I woke up, I still had the lump in my stomach. I took a shower and got ready for the day. It was still pretty early, so I just sat in my room re-reading The Great Gallopsby. I’m not really sure why, but I just felt compelled to read it again. There was a knock at my door and Chef Celery Stalk let herself in.

“Bonjour, Prince Golden Shield,” she was pushing in a chef’s cart. Chef Celery Stalk is the youngest member on staff. She was born and raised in Mareseille, which is the food capital of Equestria. She quickly mastered the kitchen and entered culinary school at 14. Her final, four years later, just happened to be cook for the Princess Celestia. Celestia hired her on the spot and took her to Canterlot. On her way back, Celestia had to stop in Ponyville. I think you know the rest.

“Good morning, chef. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“La princess has asked me to make you breakfast in bed for your, how you say,… birthday.” In all that has been happening I had completely forgot that today was the day Celestia found me. Everything had come into perspective. Everything from Angel and Blueblood’s arrival to Octavia’s concert happened within a month and a half. And then it hit me, Angel has to leave soon.

I stopped thinking about that and decided to enjoy today. I put down my book and watched the chef prepare my breakfast. It was amazing watching her cook. She made the food dance inside the pan. The food itself was amazing, but I expected that. Chef Celery Stalk never disappoints. She took my plate, wished me a “bon anniversaire”, and left my room. I followed her shortly after and was immediately tackled and picked up by Shining.

“That’s one,” Shining said after he punched me in the arm.

“And that’s two,” Vinyl said as she did the same.

“There’s three,” Spitfire said

“And that’s four.” Blueblood had walked by and snuck in a shot. While Shining and Vinyl’s were pretty soft, Blueblood’s hurt a little.

“Aren’t you going to wish him a happy birthday, Bluey?” Cadence yelled at him trying to get his attention.

“It’s his birthday?” Blueblood didn’t stop walking, and soon we couldn’t even hear him. I just rolled my eyes.

“What’s going on?” Angel asked as she walked out of her room.

“Today is Golden’s Birthday!” Twilight said.

“Well, this is one.” She kissed me on the cheek. Vinyl, Spitfire, and Shining’s eyes grew wide. Octavia and Cadence were laughing at their reaction.

“Looks like the plot thickens,” Spitfire said.

Angel and I told the other three about everything. We were a little hesitant to talk about this in front of Twilight, but we soon figured out that she didn’t even know what we were talking about, let alone care. When we finished, Angel leaned in and gave me another kiss.

The rest of the day was exciting. We started off by going to café, were the barista gave us free coffee. Next was Octavia’s house for her gift. It was a private concert from all of us. It was amazing, even better that last night. Next was Vinyl’s gift, which was a stuffed bear named Boopie. I originally got it for her when she was sick. Whenever I either of us had to give another one a gift, we would give each other Boopie. The punches in the arm were Shining and Spitfire’s gift and Twilight drew me a picture. 

That night’s dinner is something that I would never forget. It started off like all the others. Our group having our own table and Blueblood taking over the foal table. I actually didn’t think about him all day. We talked as we waited for the meals, Spitfire and Shining finished off my 16 punches. Right before desert, Celestia clapped her hands. It was a booming clap, loud enough to wake anypony sleeping the castle. The doors flung open and phoenix flew in. It performed an amazing act in the air. Tailspins, barrel rolls, and many other tricks. What put everything over the top was the short trail of fire that followed the phoenix. If finally landed on my shoulder.

“Ladies and Gentlecolts,” Celestia said with a voice that matched the clap, “Twelve years ago today, I made a stop in Ponyville that changed my life. In the middle of a storm in the dead of night, I saw a light coming from the Everfree Forest. I decided to investigate and found a young colt all alone. I tried to find somepony who knew him in both Ponyville and here in Canterlot, but no pony came forward. I didn’t stop there. I spent two years looking for his mother, but it was all pointless. I didn’t know it at the time, but I have always know his mother and that became obvious to him sooner than me. To this day, I am overjoyed to call this young stallion my son. Please join me in wishing my son, Prince Golden Shied, a happy birthday. And help me welcome the newest member of our family, his new pet phoenix.”

There was a roar of applause, but that couldn’t even come close to Celestia’s voice.

“What are you going to name her?” A random voice from the crowed asked. I was still blown away from the fact that there is a phoenix on my shoulder. Celestia’s speech didn’t even register with me. I went back to the day Angel first arrived and she gave me names for what I should name the baby phoenix when it hatched.

“Philomena!” I shouted. There was another round of applause and I looked towards Angel. She was smiling and showing off her pearly white teeth. Dinner went on with the deserts, white chocolate mousse with different fruit toppings. Philomena was taken to my room to get used to her new living arrangements. Towards the end, about the time Blueblood leaves for the night, Giles came to our table.

“Sir Blueblood has a message for Mrs. Angel.” Giles put on his reading glasses and unfolded a piece of paper.

“I have noticed that you have taken a liking to that porter,” Giles read, “I believe that you are a princess and you deserve a prince. This will be your last chance. Leave with me now, or stay and face my wrath. I don’t believe I need to remind you of the last pony that chose the ladder.”

We looked over to the door and saw Blueblood standing next to the door. He had an impatient look on his face. It would have been entertaining if I didn’t know what would happen should Angel not join him. I looked over to Angel and she was doing exactly as I wanted her to do: nothing. It was like she didn’t even hear the message or was afraid of what would happen next.

“Thank you, Giles,” she said after a short pause after the message, “You are dismissed.”

“Very well. I will inform Sir Blueblood of your decision.” Giles spun on his heel and started to walk back towards Blueblood.

“I better make sure that Bluey doesn’t do something that he’ll regret,” Cadence said. She shot out of her chair and ran towards Blueblood.

“Son,” Captain Iron Side said as put his hand on my shoulder, “I think it’s time for my gift.” He signaled me to follow him. I gave Angel kiss 15 and told her that I’ll be back soon.

Captain Iron Side started to lead me down a few hallways towards his office. 

“Now son, I see how angry Blueblood makes you and seeing as how it’s not good to bottle up your anger, I want to give you an outlet.” He opened a door and inside was just a heavy bag. “I’m going to teach you how to box.” By the end of the summer I could have gone pro, but I only wanted to do it to relive stress. Every time I hit the bag, all I pictured was Blueblood’s face.

That night, Angel was waiting outside my door. When she saw me, she threw her arms around me and gave me the most passionate kiss of the day.

“And that’s sixteen,” she said when our lips finally broke apart.

“What did I miss?” I said

“Cadence tried to calm him down, but he still tried to go on his tirade. Before he can do anything, I stood up and just went all out on him. You should have been there, you would have loved it the most.”

“And that is why I love you,” I said after giving her another kiss. We didn’t talk for much longer, as we were tired. I went to bed feeling great and I could say that this was the best birthday I’ve ever had.

I was woken up by two a high-pitched scream the next morning. I ran out of my room and tried to find were the scream came from. I ended up in the main hall where Cadence and Angel were laughing and jumping with their wings fully extended. Celestia was right next to them, smiling.

“What’s going on?” I asked

“OhmygodGoldenyournotgoingtobelievewahtAuntieCelestiajusttoldme,” Cadence said as fast as she could. Angel tried to explain it, but I couldn’t even understand her.

“What?”

“I just told Cadence that the Grand Galloping Gala is going to be on her birthday,” Celestia said. Both the girls screamed again, louder than last time.

The Gala was always awful and boring. It might be fun if you are an elitist or anything like Blueblood, but not for somepony like Cadence. Even Octavia wouldn’t enjoy herself there Two years ago, between seventh and eighth grade, Celestia let us hold a younger version of the gala. She leaves it up to us to plan everything out. The first one was planned to be just between me, Cadence, Octavia, Vinyl, and Shining, but word quickly got out and the whole thing quickly got out and the whole thing blew up. There were ponies that we never met at that party. We did the same thing next year and it got even bigger. Who knows how big this one will be now that we’re in High School.

“I would get to planning if I were you two. The gala is in a week,” Celestia said as she walked off. 

“I can’t believe that I’m going to the Grand Galloping Gala!” Angel said

“Well, we’re not going to the gala you’re thinking of,” I said

“Trust us, it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. Celestia lets us throw our own gala, just for ponies still in school,” Cadence said.

“You’re going to love it, and let me take care of everything, Cadence.”

“Are you sure? I could…”

“No, this is your birthday party. I don’t want you to lift a hand trying to plan anything.”

“Alright, if you say so.”

Our group met up so we could tell them the good news. Plus, I couldn’t plan the whole thing myself. There are just too many elements for me to handle.

“Alright ponies, we only have two weeks to put together Cadence’s party. Shining and Spitfire, I need you two to get the word out. The more ponies, the better.”

“Yes, sir!” They said. I picked those two because they were probably the most popular out the group, besides Cadence.

“Vinyl,” She saluted me, “Vary funny. Pick your job: Find someone to DJ or crate an awesome playlist.”

“Yeah! This party’s goin’ be super sweet!”

“Angel, Octavia, I need you two to pick out outfits. I don’t care if their color coded or if they match our individual styles. Pick out something for each of us. Do you think you could do it?”

“In my sleep,” Angel said.

“Anything for Cadence,” Octavia followed

“What can I do, Golden?” Twilight asked. She had stars in her eyes and looked excited to do anything for the party.

“I have a special task for you. You get to help me pick out the treats.” Twilight had the biggest smile on her face after I said it. I felt bad that she was too young to actually go to the party, but we always snuck her some treats and she would play with her friends in the Castle’s play room.

“Finally, all of us have to help set up. Everything from theme to decoration. I need everypony’s help to get this done on time.”

The next two weeks were hectic, well for me at least. Shining and Spitfire just have to tell one pony each. Then that pony tells two ponies, and every teen in Canterlot will know in a matter of hours. Vinyl found a group of DJ that were willing to do it, so long as they could socialize when they’re not playing their set. I met with Chef Fasnacht, a pastry chef from Saddlen which north of Mareseille. He was hired specifically for deserts and constantly battling chef Celery Stalk for head chef. Everything he made was perfect and even made smaller portions for Twilight. Octavia and Angel had the biggest problems. While they found outfits for most of us, Angel couldn’t find a thing that she liked. I decided to take her to the castle’s closet.

“Oh…my…” Angel said as she looked around.

“You can pick anything you want.”

“Just when I thought that this castle couldn’t get more amazing, you show me this. This is unbelievable.”

“Let me show you what we have.” We started walking around looking for the dresses. We ended up near the dress shirts. For some reason, I felt compelled to show them off. I started taking them off the shelves, throwing them all over the place, and started to name off where they were from. Fillydelpha, Las Pegasus, Saddle Arabia, Trontonto, and anywhere else you can think of that has an elite fashion designer. I stopped when I noticed that Angel was crying.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.”

I realized why I felt like reading Gallopsby. I was Jay Gallopsby. Much of the summer has been reminiscent of the book. While I do enjoy the book, I really don’t want the ending to be the same. I hugged Angel and helped her stop crying. We found the dresses and she picked out the one that spoke to her. It was a golden dress covered with diamonds. It worked prefect with the rest of ours.

The party was amazing. Every teen that even heard of Cadence was there. Every part of it was at least fifty times better than the actual gala. Chef Fasnacht’s food was a hit and it was gone almost immediately. Vinyl and her friends played amazing set that everyone danced to. There was only one thing that ruined the whole thing. While dancing, I just happened to glance at one of the doors. I watched Blueblood take Angel outside.

> Chapter 12: Departure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought that Blueblood would stay at the gala that night. All I wanted was one day that I had to think about Blueblood, that’s it. When I saw him take Angel outside, I became furious. I considered going to Captain Iron Side’s heavy bag and hitting it a few times. That thought was almost immediately dismissed by the thought of just hitting Blueblood. I tried making my way to the door, but fighting your way through a crowed of dancing ponies is extremely hard. Even when I did make it out, there were ponies that stopped by Fancy Pants.

“Great party, old sport,” he said while stepping in front of me. Fancy Pants is extremely social and never misses an opportunity to talk to somepony, especially Canterlot elite.

“Sorry, Fancy Pants, but I…”

“I mean you really have out done yourself this time.”

“Fancy, I don’t have time…”

“You know, you should throw parties like this more often.”

“I really need to go,” I said after finally pushing past him. “I’m sorry. I’ll talk to you later.”

I ran into an empty hallway, but I head their voices. I was too angry to care about what they were saying and I just ran towards the voices. When I found them, Blueblood was dragging Angel somewhere.

“Let go of her Blueblood!” I shouted as I ran towards them.

“Stay out of this, porter!” He shouted back. “This doesn’t involve you!”

“If it involves her it involves me!”

“Please,” Angel said, “Both of you stop!”

“Oh no!” Blueblood said. If his coat was any other color, it would be white with rage. “He didn’t back off so this is what the porter gets.”

“For the last damn time, I am not a porter!”

“Either way, you don’t need to be part of this. Why don’t you just go back to your little party.”

“First off, it’s your sister’s party. It could have been your party too if you didn’t do stuff like this. Second, I already told you. If it involves her, it involves me.”

“Why? All you are to her is a little filly crush. This is all the time you two will have together. Within a week, she’ll forget all about you. Don’t believe me? Angel, what was the name of your last colt-friend?” Angel didn’t respond. I’m positive that it was because she was in shock of the whole thing “It was Tom Buckhanan.”

“I don’t believe you. Angel and I have something that you can never understand.”

“You think it’s something that I can’t understand? What makes you think that Angel and I haven’t experienced that same thing?”

“Because she doesn’t love you!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “And she never has.” There was a moment of silence between all of us. “And she never will. Do you want to know why, Blueblood? It’s because all you are to her is a means to an end. The only reason why she pretended to be with you is so she can come to Canterlot. Now she doesn’t need you anymore. She has me.”

“Now which one of us is the liar?”

“It’s true. Tell him, Angel.”

Angel didn’t respond. She was almost cowering in fear from us. She was sitting against the wall watching the two of us fight. She looked like she was about to cry, but was afraid to make a sound. It was heartbreaking to watch her down there looking at me in fear. I got down on both knees and started to stroke her cheek.

“Angel, please tell Blueblood what you told me. Tell him that you never loved him. Tell him about the night on the balcony and everything we’ve been through. Tell him that you love me.”

“Please, porter. You’ll never have what Angel and I have. That first night we were together was amazing. I know our first dance was magical for her as it was for me. That’s the one thing that you can’t understand, because she fell in love with me that night.”

“Please say anything Angel. Anything.” She still didn’t respond.

“See. If she loved you, she would side with you. Now come along, Angel.”

“Please, Angel. Just say something. Angel, please just prove him wrong. I love you.”

She still didn’t respond. That was the most heartbreaking thing about this whole encounter. If she would have just said one thing, even if it was just “stop”, there would be some validity in my actions. I would have felt like I fought for something. But she didn’t say anything, she just sat there and continued to look through me in horror.

“Just say it back, Angel. I love you.”

“Like I said, she doesn’t love you. Come along, Angel.”

She didn’t move. It was as if she became a statue and nothing was going to move her. Blueblood walked off thinking Angel was following her, but he never turned around to check. He didn’t care about her, he just didn’t want me to have something he knew that he could never get. We sat in that hallway across from each other in silence for a while, not saying a word to one another. She eventually got up and went to bed. I continued to sit there by myself. I replayed the events in my head over and over again.

I wondered if there was something different I should have done. I thought of all the different things I could have said to Angel to make her talk. I realized that there was nothing I could have done differently. I would always go after Blueblood. I would always have a confrontation with Blueblood. I would always tell Angel that I loved her. Nothing would change and I would always end up in an empty hallway.

“Are you alright,” Cadence said. I didn’t notice her at first, but she didn’t speak up until now.

“How much of that did you hear?”

“All of it.”

“I’m sorry Cadence.”

“For what?”

“I ruined your party.”

“No you didn’t. Blueblood did.”

“No, I did. If I didn’t even talk to Angel, than none of this would be happening. If I never confronted Blueblood that one morning, than she wouldn’t have even considered me as a colt-friend. If I would have never left the party and continued to talk to Fancy Pants, than we wouldn’t be here.”

Cadence gave me a hug, but it was a bit awkward as we were both sitting.

“None of this is your fault. You didn’t fall in love with her. Both of you fell in love with each other. Angel came to you that night in her hour of need and you were there for her. And who knows what would have happened if you didn’t follow them. For all we know, Blueblood could be having his way with her right now. And do you know why you did all of that? It’s because you’re in love. Love does make you do crazy stupid things, but it’s those things take make people believe that you care. Angel went to bed tonight knowing that you care for her and that you love her and that’s all she could really ask for. Sure you may feel like crap now, but that’s what those things do. Don’t think of it as you feeling like crap, think of it as she doesn’t feel like crap. And in the end, isn’t that was love is? It’s not a selfish, spoiled, little brat. It’s definitely not what Blueblood is. It’s putting that one person before yourself. It’s making sure that the other person is happy before making sure you’re happy.”

I took a moment to soak it all in.

“I think you should go to bed, Golden. You need some time just for you to relax.” Cadence helped me to my feet and gave me a proper hug. I hugged her back. The longer we hugged, the better it felt. It felt like the entire burden of the night was lifted off of my back.

“Thanks Cadence. Happy Birthday.”

Cadence went back to enjoy her party. I walked back to my room in silence, thinking about what Cadence said. I thought about going into Angel’s room and talking to her, but decided against it. I just went into my room, changed into my pajamas, and went to bed. I fell asleep thinking that I was going to make sure everything was oaky first thing tomorrow. For now, Cadence was right. I needed some time to myself.

I woke up to the sound of a chariot taking off. I ran to my window to see who was in it, but I was too late. I decided to run to Angel’s room, but I saw a note when I reached the door. I took the note and read it on my bed. Some of the words were smeared by what I think is a tear, but the whole thing was still legible.

Dear Prince Golden Shield

The past months have been the best of my life. I am so bless to have met Cadence and Shining, and everyone else, but you more than the others. I’m sorry that I didn’t speak up last night, as I was thinking about us. If I would have said something last night, than it would have been these four words: I love you too. I’ve had crushes on other colts before, but you are the only one that I have truly loved. I know you feel the same way and that is going to comfort me as I return to school. I hope the knowledge of me loving you will help you through whatever you do. I want our paths to cross again more than I want air. Please, Golden, whatever you do, whoever you meet, you won’t forget me, as I will never forget you. Please take care of yourself.

With much love,

Angel

Reading the letter was the final straw. I broke down crying, but it wasn’t because of Angel, it was because of Blueblood. He had won. He took something that meant the world to me and there was nothing I could do about it.

One by one, my friends came in and read the letter. I asked them not to read it out loud. I had already read it once, and the last thing I wanted was to hear somepony say it. They each tried to comfort me, but none of it helped. The idea that I couldn’t hear Angel’s voice or even see her didn’t help. I didn’t attend dinner for the next three night. All I did was sit in my room and re-read the only book in there The Great Gallopsby. I hated the book afterwards because it reminded me too much of this summer.

It was Sunday, the day before sophomore year. I didn’t even know if I would go to the first day of school. It was about 9:30 at night and I was almost ready to go to sleep. There was a knock at my door.

“I don’t want to talk, Cadence.” I said from my bed.

“Can I please come in?” Celestia said. I didn’t say anything, but that was because my mom knew that she was always welcome in my room. She opened the door and peeked her head in. “Can we talk, Golden”

“Sure.” She took a seat at the end of bed. She was still in her favorite dinner dress. “I now know how you must have felt when you lost your onion farmer.”

“After you told me that you and Angel were dating, I decided to stay out of your mane with this. Cadence told me what happened and I again decided to let you handle this on your own. I now know that is the worst things for me to do. I thought about what I should do and I decided to tell you what happened when I lost the farmer.

“I hired a small group of guards to find him. At first they didn’t find anything. Every year afterwards, I hired another team to find him. I’m not sure if I wanted him back or if I just wanted to know if he was alright. They eventually found him, but I don’t remember exactly when. I dropped everything I was doing and went to him. I didn’t even realize how long it had been. When I finally made it to his farm house, he was on his death bed. He told me that I was just as beautiful as the day we met and the idea that I would come one day, motivated him. His final words were “I love you.” He died knowing that the pony that loved him when he was younger, was willing to seek him out. That’s what I took away from all of this. There is always somepony that loves you and will always be there for you.”

“And how does this apply to my situation?”

“Because that’s who you are to Angel. She may have family and friends back in Fillydelpha, but she’s never had somepony like you. There has never been somepony who loved and cared for her. Whenever she needs to do something that she thinks she can’t, she’ll think of you. You are the one pony who can be there for her, without being there. And that’s the most important thing you can be.”

“So, I have to feel awful?”

“No. All you have to do is keep her in mind and you will always be happy. I’ve never forgotten about the farmer. Every time I feel lost or alone, all I have to do is think about him and I know that he will always be with me.”

I thought about what Celestia said to me. She was right. There were point in the last three days when I thought about Angel and I could have sworn she was there. Every time, I thought about that one night when she slept in my room. For a few moments, I could feel her next to me.

“I didn’t think of it like that.”

“Sometimes it takes someone outside the situation to add a little perspective. Now are you feeling better?”

“Yeah. Thanks, mom.”

“You’re welcome, my little pony. Now, you should probably get ready to go to sleep. School starts tomorrow.” She stood up and walked towards the door.

“Hey, mom,” I said before she left the room.

“Yes,” she said.

“I don’t know if there are times when you don’t feel like a mom, but I want you to know that you are the best mom anypony could ask for. You’re always there for me and Cadence and when one of us falls, you’re always there to pick us up. Whenever either of us are happy, you find a way to make us even happier. I don’t care if you didn’t give birth to me, you’re my mom.”

“Thank you, Golden. Good night,” she said as she left my room with a smile.

I smiled back and put out my lantern. I laid down in my bed and tried to go to sleep. As I started to drift off, I felt somepony kiss my cheek. I tuned to see who it was, but no pony was there. I knew that it was Angel, thinking of me as I was thinking about her.

> Chapter 13: Sophomore
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sophomore year of High School. Finally, we are no longer freshmen who have no idea what’s going on. We now know where each building is and don’t need to ask around anymore. We know what to avoid when buying lunch and who are the good or alright teachers. There was only one problem, no pony cares about sophomores. We’re just there. It was nice to know that no cares that I’m a prince for once. 

It was the same as last year. Find the table with my schedule, wait for the teacher behind that table to stop bowing, and then compare my schedule to my friends. By some sick twist of fate, each of have only one other pony from our group in our class, except for Shining and Vinyl, but that was because Shining was on the Griffin Hoofball team. 

The good news is that we all start off with Home Economics. I then have Chemistry with Octavia. My next class was Algebra 2 with Shining. Cadence and I have Language Arts together and Vinyl and I have the same Ancient History class. Finally, Spitfire and I are joining the Hoofball team. We’re excited to join. Our coach last year basically told us that we were going to make the varsity team. We were all disappointed, but we really didn’t have a choice.

On our first day of Home Economics, we were paired up. This person would be our partner for the rest of the class. Since there was an even amount of mares and colts in the class, each pair could only consist of one colt and one mare. Since there was four mare and only two colts, we deiced to pair up randomly. The mares wrote their names on pieces of paper and we mixed them up. I ended up being Cadence’s partner and Shining drew Octavia. Spitfire found a light blue pegasus freshman named Soarin’ and Vinyl ended up with a black pegasus named Thunderlane. All we really did with our partners was “raise” an egg. It was convent for me and Cadence, seeing as how we lived together. Octavia and Shining got along pretty well together. Spitfire really clicked with Soarin’. Vinyl was the only one that had problems. She ended up keeping the egg the entire time. The rest of the class was just cooking and the six of us could pair up.

Every day, the six of us would split off to our next class. Octavia and I would walk across the campus to her locker and then to our class, which gave us plenty of time to talk. The first few weeks were a bit awkward because of the incident at Octavia’s show, but we were able to put it behind us. Octavia was a gossiper. She has eyes and ears everywhere, but I could never understand how. Everypony says that they don’t tell her anything. Usually she would talk about small things. Sometimes it was something about who had a crush on who or who had a one night stand. One conversation, towards the end of the year, in particular caught my attention.

“So who is asking who to the Sadie Hawkins Dance?” I asked Octavia as we walked.

“Oh, just the ponies you would assume. Spitfire already asked Soarin’ and Fleur is planning on asking Fancy Pants soon.”

“You’re hiding something.”

“Why do you always assume that I’m hiding something?”

“It’s been ten years. I’ve picked up some stuff. I know when you’re not telling me something. What is it?”

“Alright, but it involves Shining, so you can’t tell him anything. Do you promise?”

“I promise.”

“Cadence is planning to ask Shining to the dance.”

“Come on, Octavia. Tell me the truth.”

“You think I’m lying?”

“Cadence would tell me if she was going to ask Shining to the dance. We’re that close of friends. There is no way the she would tell you before she would tell me.”

“Well to be honest, we’ve been talking about it since last year’s homecoming. We were trying to figure out who was going to ask who to last year’s Sadie Hawking’s dance, but since we ended up not going because we couldn’t figure it out. This year, however, Spitfire asked Soarin’ and Vinyl is going to DJ the event, so that left the four of us. Cadence and I talked it out and she wanted to ask Shining because she wanted to get to know him a little better.”

“Oh. Alright.”

I was a little disappointed. Since Angel left, Cadence and I grew closer. She, and Celestia, were the only ones that comforted me. Our bond grew stronger and stronger every time we talked.

“Now, I guess it’s time for my part. Golden, will you go to the dance with me?”

Octavia and I haven’t really talked about what happened that one night. It’s not that we wanted to pretend it never happened, although there are times I wish it didn’t, we just want to put it behind us. It was just me helping a friend and it was just her at a weak point. After that night, there was a little part of me that made me think that she might have a little crush on me. With Angel around, or even the thought of Angel, I was able to suppress that little part of me, but I haven’t even seen a letter from her in a month.

I like to think that a good school year is one where you make a stupid mistake. Whether it’s something you said, agreeing to do something, or just being at the wrong place at the wrong time because you were somewhere you shouldn’t have been. A good school year should always come with a story.

“I would be honored,” I said. Octavia dropped the binder she was caring and hugged me. The binder hitting the ground caused some ponies to look at us. Some ponies applauded as they realized what happened, while others talked silently to their friends. They couldn’t believe that a prince would even consider saying “yes” to a musician. Especially when I’ve received numerous invitations from many mares. I didn’t care. Octavia is a close friend of mine and I would hate to disappoint her. 

Things started to get weird after that. Usually, hanging out with Octavia was fun, but she got clingy after that. Our Chemistry class labs were usually something fun, but now Octavia wouldn’t stop saying how much of a chemical genius I was. There were times when she would insist on holding my hand or she would rest her head on my arm while we were sitting. I was giving obvious signs that I was still in love with Angel and I didn’t want anything beyond a platonic relationship. I was able to deal with all the little stuff, but then she gave me a quick kiss. We split off to go to our next class. Octavia seemed to have a spring in her step, while I was a bit shocked.

My Algebra class wasn’t too far away from my last class. I was walking a bit slow because of what just happened. By the time I got to my class, Shining was already sitting at his desk. I took my seat next to him, still in a bit of a daze of what just happened.

“What happened to you?” Shining said, “You seemed so happy this morning.”

“It’s Octavia.”

“Yeah, what’s been going between you two? I thought that you were still ‘in love’ with Angel.”

“I am. There’s nothing going on between us. She asked me to go to the dance and I said yes and now she’s acting like we’re a couple.”

“You need to do something about that. Why don’t you show her the last letter Angel sent you?”

“The last letter I got from her was months ago and I sent her obvious signs that I still wanted to be with her.”

“How obvious was it?”

“Remember when I said ‘I miss Angel. The only thing keeping me sane is this last letter I got from her. Man, I love her.” And then I inhaled a fake sent from the letter and pretended that it smelt like her.”

“That was a little creepy and now I’m putting it all together.”

“It shouldn't have been that hard. It’s right there. Everypony else asked me about it.”

“Alright, final piece of advice. Just tell her the truth. Octavia doesn’t want to be treated like a child. All you have to do is be up front with her.”

“Thanks man.”

“What else are guy friends for?”

The class was pretty boring. Something about graphing something. Shining and I were half awake through the whole thing. We jolted up when the bell rang. We started to pack up our stuff.

“Hey, Shining,” a mare said as he was putting his textbook in his backpack.

“Hey, Star Heart.

“I was wondering if you would go to the Sadie Hawkins Dance with me.”

“Sorry, Star. I’ve already promised somepony else.”

“Oh, okay. Bye.”

“Alright, that’s the fifth mare you’ve turned down. Who is this other mare?” I said as we started to walk to lunch. Usually, we would meet up with our friends, but I had to tutor a freshman in Language Arts today in the library. Our lunch table and the library were in the same direction, so I still walked with Shining.

“There is no other mare. I don’t want to go to this dumb dance.”

“Come on, Shining. You want to go and you want a specific pony to ask you.”

“No, I don’t…”

“It’s Cadence.”

“No, I just don’t want to go to this thing. I’m a stallion and I want to feel like a stallion. If that means that I am the one that asks the mare, then so be it.”

“Please, Shining. I know you better than you know you. I know that you want Cadence to ask you and if you could, you would ask her.”

“Golden, do you know who you’re talking to. I’m the most straight forward pony there is. You should know by now that when I say something, I mean it.”

I like to think that a good school year is one where you make a stupid mistake.

“I don’t think she’s that into you,” I said as we started to split off. “Later, man.”

“See ya around.”

I walked into my Language Arts class when the bell that ended lunch rang and waited for Cadence. She wasn’t too far behind me and she took the seat right next to me. She was as always as happy and had a bounce in her step. Her step seemed more genuine than Octavia’s.

“What’s wrong?” She said as she took a seat. 

“Who said something’s wrong?” I said. I knew that she knew that something was wrong. She could read me like a book.

“There’s just something about you that says, ‘Something’s wrong, Cadence. Please talk to me about it.’”

“It’s Octavia. She kissed me this morning.”

“What?”

“Don’t make me say it again.”

“Hey, Cadence,” A random colt said. Word had gotten around that Cadence still hasn’t asked anypony to the dance. When they found out that I was going with Octavia and not Cadence, all the colts started to come after her. They started dressing nicer, wearing cologne, and doing anything to catch her attention. We knew that all they wanted to do was get into her pants. She would usually brush them aside.


“Hey,” She said to the colt before turning her attention back to me. “Now was it…”

“So, you still don’t have a date to the dance.” The colt said. Cadence gave me a familiar look and I nodded my head.

“Was it a kiss like this?” Cadence leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “Or the other one.” Cadence and I get hit on all the time at school. Cadence wanted to find the love of her life and I was still with Angel, but no matter what we said or how many times we said it, somepony still wanted to flirt with us. We came up with a plan one day to try and stop it. Whenever we need to, we would act like a couple. We made sure to tell our friends, so they wouldn’t think anything of it and we told them that there may be times were we throw them under the bus. They were surpassingly okay with the whole thing. It worked too. The second we started acting like a couple, ponies would back off.

“The other one.”

“That bitch. I’ll show her. No pony kisses my man, but me.” Although we seemed serious and Cadence had a little look of anger in her eyes, both of us were cracking up inside.

The class started and we were assigned a new book, Of Mice and Stallions. Our teacher started a lecture and gave us the rest of the time to ourselves.

“So, when are you going to ask Shining?” I said making sure that none of the other colts were in earshot. Thanks to all the other ponies talking, no pony could hear what we were saying.

“I’m not sure. It has to be soon though. The dance is in two weeks.”

I like to think that a good school year is one where you make a stupid mistake.

“You have him next class, right? Surprise him there. I’m sure he’ll say ‘yes’. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

The bell rang and we left the class. Cadence’s next class wasn’t too far away from mine, so I walked her to her class. I was hoping that somepony wasn’t going to try and influence Cadence into asking him, but there was. The second she saw the first well-dressed colt with a look of lust in his eyes, she grabbed my hand. We didn’t let go the entire time. When we did let go, she gave me a kiss on the cheek and went into her class. I continued to walk to mine, which was right around the corner.

I beat Vinyl to our history class, but that’s nothing new. She’s the type of pony that’s just on time. You tell her that you’re leaving at noon, she will be there at noon. I walked into the class and heard something that I think everypony else was ignoring. I walked over to crying Fleur-De-Lis and sat next to her.

“What’s wrong, Fleur?” I asked.

“It’s nothing. Please don’t worry about it.” She looked at me and tried to smile. Her ruined mascara made it hard to believe that she didn’t want somepony to talk to her.

“No, Fleur. You’re my friend and I hate it when my friends cry. Please tell me what happened so I can help.”

“Alright,” She said after a shedding a few more tears. “I asked Fancy Pants to the dance and he said no. He said that a Sadie Hawkins Dance was too juvenile and he didn’t want to have any part of it. I begged him, but he still wouldn’t go.”

“I’m sorry Fleur.”

“Do you think I should break up with him?”

“Over one dance? Come on, Fleur. You two are perfect for each other.”

“It’s not just this dance. I had to talk him into going to Cadence’s party. He’s been like this since last year. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I want to be with him, but I don’t want to have to force him to do things.”

“You shouldn’t have to force him, Fleur. If Cadence has taught me anything it’s that you should be willing to do anything for the pony you love. I can see the love in your heart and I know you would do anything for him. I don’t know if he would do anything for you. I know it’s hard to hear, but it’s the truth.”

“Thanks, Golden,” She said after a few more tears. She stopped crying, but she was still upset. “There’s only one problem. I still want to go the dance, but not alone.”

I like to think that a good school year is one where you make a stupid mistake.

“Ask me,” I said.

“What?”

“Ask me to the Sadie Hawkins Dance.”

“Aren’t you going with Octavia?”

“I think she’ll understand.”

“I don’t want to make Fancy jealous. I still love him.”

“We’re not trying to make him jealous. I just want to help a friend go to a dance. So, ask me.”

“Golden, will you go to the Sadie Hawkins Dance with me?”

“Yes.”

A smile grew on her face. We stood up and hugged each other. Our teacher let her go to the rest room to fix her make-up. Vinyl came into the class with about a minute to spare. I told her what just happened and she was shocked. She started asking questions, but I didn’t have time to answer them. Fleur came back a few minutes after the class started. The class was another one of our teacher’s long lectures. The one thing I liked about this teacher is that she lets us use our notes on the test and quizzes.

When the class ended, Fleur hugged me again and thanked me. Vinyl went off to her class, I was walking to my next class by myself. It was a little nice being by myself. I got a chance to think about what happened today. I was still a little shocked from this morning. I walked to the school’s locker room to get ready for Hoofball.

Spitfire and I have been playing Hoofball since last year. We worked well together and made co-captains of the freshmen team. We lost only one game last year, and that was because of bad calls by the ref. We were invited to try out for the varsity team this year and we both made it. So far, we are the youngest ponies to ever play for the varsity team in the school’s history. 

Our team met on the field and we started warming up. I decided to tell Spitfire about Fleur and how I’m taking her to the dance.

“What about Octavia?” She asked

“She’ll understand. Besides, I can take both of them. We’ve done it before, remember. Last year’s homecoming I took Cadence and Octavia and Shining took you and Vinyl.”

“Yeah, but that was just between friends. Fleur doesn’t hang out with us that much, so don’t you think that ponies will talk.”

“Ponies always talk. Besides, Fleur is my friend. What if Soarin’ told you that he was taking another mare and you?”

“I wouldn’t mind. We’re just friends. It’s not like I own him or something.”

“Exactly. It’s the same way between me and Octavia. We’re just friends.”

“I don’t know. Lately, she’s been all over you. What if she thinks that you two are going out now and would kill you for even talking to another mare?”

“Then you get my records.”

“Alright,” said our coach. “We’re going to self-scrimmage today. Your captains will pick your teams.”

I like to think that a good school year is one where you make a stupid mistake.

We just got a senior earth pony that transferred from Baltimare and join the team. His name is Bicycle Kick and he was big and looked like he should be playing Griffin Hoofball, but he insisted on trying out. He was really good and gave the captains a run for their money. For this scrimmage he was on the other team. I had the ball and was about to kick it into the goal, forgetting to check around me to see if any other pony was open and had a better shot, when he slid in to steal it. The only problem was that he hit my hoof in the process. A sharp pain shot through my hoof and up my leg. I immediately dropped to the floor. I tried standing back up, but it just hurt too much. I ended up having to go to the hospital. 

They gave me some pain killers and took an x-ray of my leg. It turns out that he accidently broke my leg. It wasn’t anything to bad, but I do have to wear a cast and The Doctor wants me to be in a wheel chair for the next two weeks, at the most. He also wanted me to stay in the hospital for at least the next few hours. 

“Where is he?” I could hear Celestia’s voice from the hall way. A nurse pointed her to my room. The next thing I heard was her hooves running towards my room. She didn’t wait to open the door. “Are you alright?”

“No, but I will be.”

“What happened?”

“It was just a Hoofball accident. Another colt tried to steal the ball and accidently hit me. I’ll be fine, mom.”

“I know you will, Golden. Is there anything I can do to help him, Doctor?”

“I would try the soup thing again. This time, however, add a bit of your magic. Nothing works better than a hint of motherly love. Now, if you would excuse me, I have other patients to get to.”

“Thank you, Doctor. You’ll usual check will be in the mail.”

“No need, Princess. I’m happy to do this for free,” he said as he left the room.

“Are you going to be alright?” Celestia asked me. She pulled up a chair to the side of my bed. “I’m just so worried about you.”

“I’ll be fine. Ponies break their legs all the time.”

“Yes, but it’s never happened to ponies this close to me. And not just anypony, it’s my own son. I’m not completely sure what to do.”

“Don’t worry, mom. I know that you’ll be fine. You’ve been a great mom so far and I’m sure that you can do even better in the years to come.” There was a knock on my door and Cadence pocked her head in.

“Is it okay to come in?” she said.

“It’s fine,” Celestia said. Cadence and my other friends came into the room. “I’ll let you be alone with your friends.” She leaned in and gave me a big kiss on the cheek. I didn’t notice it at first, but she was wearing a fresh coat of lipstick. It was a little hard to see, but you can if you look for it.

“You did that on purpose,” I said to her before she left the room.

“I know.”

“I love Auntie Celestia,” Cadence said with a smile while she finished signing my cast. I didn’t notice, but all of my friends had already signed it.

“Thanks for coming guys,” I said.

“You know we would come,” Spitfire said. There was another knock at my door.

“Can I come in?” Bicycle Kick said.

“Of course,” I said.

“I just dropped by to say that I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you in any way. Please tell me that you understand.”

“It’s fine,” I said, “It really was my fault. I should have looked around and seen you coming.”

“Well, sometimes you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, I guess. You know this might make a funny story one day.” Bicycle Kick left the room. He said that he was taking somepony on a date and had to get ready.

“He really is a nice guy,” Spitfire said, “He’s always there to make sure that he doesn’t hurt anypony’s feelings. Hint, hint Golden.”

“What are you talking about?” Shining asked.

“Octavia, do you mind if Fleur comes with us?” 

“Isn’t she going with Fancy?” Octavia asked.

“You haven’t heard?” Cadence said, “They got into a fight and Fancy doesn’t want to go.”

“I told her to ask me and she did. So, what do you say, Octavia? Can she come with us?”

“I don’t see why not. I feel bad for her. She really likes Fancy Pants and to think that he doesn’t want to do anything for her makes me a little sad. Oh, and thank you so much for playing along the past few weeks. I know what I did this morning was sudden, but it did the trick.”

“What?” I said.

“He started to back off after that.”

“Who?” I said, still confused.

“Come on, Golden, don’t act dumb.”

“I’m not acting. What have you done, Octavia?”

“Oh, sorry. I just assumed you saw him too. You remember that colt from the homecoming dance? The one that wanted to ‘roll in the hay’? He’s been stalking me since this year started. I might have told him that I was already in a relationship with you, so I had to act like it. I thought you blew our cover when you had the whole thing about Angel, but he didn't hear it. That kiss was the final piece and he promised to back off.”

“That explains so much,” Vinyl said. We all started to laugh as we talked about all the crazy things Octavia did the past few weeks.

“I think cuddling against his arm was cute,” Cadence said.

“It was a little embarrassing,” Octavia said. “Would you do it?”

“Well…” Cadence said. “I have something to tell you.” Shining put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and then put her hands on his. They both started smiling and I was too.  “We have something to tell you. Shining and I are a couple.”

“What?” Vinyl said, almost as if she was speaking another language.

“During fifth period, I asked him to the dance. He said yes and then we talked a bit more.”

“We figured out that we both like each other, so I asked if she wanted to start dating.”

“Congrats, guys,” I said, “I just wish that you could have told us somewhere besides a hospital.”

We continued to talk a little more before I was discharged. My mom was waiting outside my room the entire time. I told her that she could have came in, but she said that she was fine meeting her subjects. I used my magic to wheel myself out of the hospital. Using magic for long time periods puts a strain on an unicorns mind and causes migraines, so Cadence, Celestia, and I switched off. Everypony else went home to get ready for dinner.

The next week and a half was interesting. There were mares all over me, asking how it happened. I felt like a bad flank telling ponies that it was a Hoofball accident. Most of the ponies that I talked to signed by cast. None of us saw or even heard from Fancy Pants. Fleur still had hope that he might come back and apologize. The only thing I’m disappointed about is that I didn’t get to play in the Hoofball game against our rivals, Star Swirl Academy. We still won, 3-4, but it was a hell of a game to miss.

The Doctor’s soup idea worked again, but it was awful to eat nothing but enchanted soup. I was limping a bit for a day or two, but I was fine by the time of the dance. I put on a suit and Cadence wore a new dress. It was a light blue, strapped dress that looked amazing on her. We walked to Octavia’s house, then Shining’s, and finally Fleur’s. We walked to the school, where they transformed the gym to match the theme.

All of us enjoyed the dance. We had fun dancing and hanging out with the ponies around school. Even Vinyl, who would have enjoyed herself on the dance floor, enjoyed DJ-ing the thing. When it came to the slow dances, I danced half of them with Fleur and the other half with Octavia.

“That was so much fun,” Fleur said when we sat down to take a break. “Thank you so much, Golden.”

“You would have done the same for me.”

“So, if you don’t mind me asking,” Octavia said, “What are you going to do about Fancy Pants?”

“I’m not sure. I want to be with him, but not if he’s going to if he’s going to insult everything I want to do. I don’t know. Maybe we should…” She was interrupted by a colt yelling her name. The dance floor parted and let Fancy Pants come down the middle. Fleur stood up as he came closer. He was completely dressed up in a suit, but that was nothing new for him. Fancy always liked to dress up a bit.

“Fleur, I’m so sorry.”

“What?” Fleur said.

“I’m sorry. I should have known that this dance meant something to you. I shouldn’t have been so worried about what other ponies think about me going to a place like this. All I care about is you and what you think about me. I love you, Fleur.”

“I love you too, Fancy.” The two hugged and kissed each other. It was sweet to watch and made me smile.

“That’s not all,” Fancy said. He continued by getting down on one knee and pulled a small felt box out of his back pocket. He opened it to reveal a small gold ring. “This is a promise ring. It’s a symbol of our love. Will you accept it?”

“Yes! Yes! A million times, Yes!” Fancy slid the ring on her finger. The rest of the night was a bit magical. I later learned that Cadence set him straight that morning. 

The rest of Sophomore year was more or less the same as Freshmen year. Work on projects, do homework, projects, dealing with social life. Octavia and I pretended to be a couple for the rest of the year so that stalker wouldn’t come back. We didn’t kiss again, but we were just as convincing. We were lucky that the colt was a senior and we would never have to see him again.

After the last day of school, Cadence wanted some alone time with me. Tomorrow was mine and Angel’s one year anniversary, and I still haven’t heard from her. We went to the park and sat under out favorite tree.

“How are you holding up?” She asked me.

“I’m alright, I guess. I just wish that she would write back.”

“Does this mean you two are…?”

“I hope not, but her not writing back might mean that she wants to.”

“I know it must be tough, but look on the bright side. For one glorious summer you had somepony to call your own. You had somepony who loved you and cared for you. You had what other ponies wish they could have.”

“I like to think I have more than what other ponies wish for. I have a friend as great as you. You’re always there for me and know how to make me smile.”

“It’s what we promised each other last year. And I plan to keep that promise forever. So, it’s the start of a new summer. What do you want to do?”

Just then a pair of white wings blocked my vision.

“Guess who,” a feminine voice said. I didn’t wait. I turned around and hugged Angel.
> Chapter 14: Dread
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh god!” Cadence said. “Where is he? His room isn’t ready. He has to give me some warning!”

“Relax Cadence, it’s just me,” Angel said. We thought it was a little entertaining to watch her freak out.

“It’s so good to see you,” Cadence said and gave Angel a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Didn’t you get my letter?”

“I haven’t gotten any letters from you in months. I thought…”

“What? No! Never! It might have been our new mail pony. She’s a bit derpy, but young. Anyway, my dad’s company moved to Canterlot, which means…”

“You’re moving here,” I said. I gave Angel another hug and she hugged me back. Cadence laughed when she saw my horn glow and her wings extend.

“What are you laughing about?” I said, “Do I need to remind you about Homecoming?”

“What happened?” Angel asked. Cadence started to blush as she remembered that night.

“Cadence and Shining were dancing to a slow song. Shining held her close and their horns were glowing and her wings were out.”

“Wait, does that mean that you and Shining are a couple now?”

“We’ve been dating for a few months now.” Cadence was smiling at just the thought of her and Shining. 

“Oh my god, that’s amazing!” Angel said. We stayed in the park until sunset, where we had to get ready for dinner. We walked Angel to her new house, which wasn’t too far off from Octavia’s house. Before we kissed good-bye I told her that she was always welcome at the castle.

“Did you do this?” I said to Cadence as we walked home.

“What? No? I mean, it’s not that I haven’t given it thought before, but I didn’t move her father’s company here. I think this might be destiny.”

I smiled at the idea of destiny. Of course, our cutie marks imbedded in us, but I wasn’t thinking of that destiny. I was thinking of the idea that there really is somepony for everypony. It wasn’t until we reached the castle that I realized that I was the happiest that I’ve been since school started. That’s all it took, an hour or two with Angel.

That night, after dinner, Angel and I snuck up to the balcony. It hadn’t dawned on me that I met Angel a year ago today until I saw her looking out to the city. It reminded me of that first night. I remember how she looked out into the city like a little filly looking at a completely full candy jar. She still looks like that. She still sees the amazingness of the city lit up by ponies houses and the street lights. Even if it was completely dark, she would still lookout into the city and think of the sheer number of ponies sleeping, dreaming, hoping. 

“Do you know what today is?” I say as I approach her. She turns around and leans against the edge and puts her hands on the rail for support.

“Of course I do. We had our first kiss right here a year ago,” She said “It’s also the day that I realized that you were the one for me.” I turned her back around and but my arms around her. We stood their quietly for a few minutes. We didn’t need to say anything. All we needed was each other. It didn’t matter that I was a prince. It didn’t matter that she was pegasus. It didn’t matter where we were. All that mattered is that we had each other. I know it sounds corny, but it was true. We could have been anywhere today. So long as we had each other, everything was going to be fine.

We did eventually recreate the magic of that night by kissing around the same spot as a year ago. I then walked her home. It was a little weird not walking her back to her room, but I moved on. Recently, Celestia would send a guard with me at night. They tried to keep their distance and hide, but it’s easy to hear two hooves weighed down by armor. We ignored it and moved on. When we got to her door, I gave her one last kiss and she went inside. The path home passed outside Octavia’s house, and she was, of course, waiting for me.

“So, I bet you’re happy,” She said with a slight grin.

“Over the moon,” I said

“Are you going to tell her about us?”

“What about us?”

“How you basically spent the entire school year pretending I was her. How we acted like we were the only two ponies that mattered.”

“That was nothing, Octavia, we both know that.”

“I know, but she doesn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“When a mare is in love with a colt, they want to be the only mare that colt sees. We want to know that we’re the only mare that you should think about. If it was up to us, than the only contact you would have with another mare was your own mother.”

“That’s not Angel. She knows that I love her. She knows that she doesn’t have to compete for me and that I would die for her. Plus, she knows that we’re just friends and when I explain why we did what we did, she’ll completely understand.”

“If you say so.” Octavia rolled her eyes and went back into her house. I walked home, having to put up with a guard trying to sneak around.

Angel and I made plans to meet each other at the café to catch up. I arrived first and ordered a coffee for me and one for Angel. She snuck up behind me when I was adding the cream and sugar to her drink.

“You remembered how I like my coffee,” She said.

“Of course,” I said as I handed her the coffee and we found a table.

“Alright, you first,” I said, “What happened when ponies at your school found out that you dumped Blueblood?”

“It was amazing. I became the most popular mare in school. The freshmen coming into the school knew who I was. The only thing is that I haven’t seen Blueblood since we got back.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“It would be worse if he didn’t force himself on me. What about you? What did I miss in Canterlot?”

“Well you already know about Cadence and Shining. I broke my leg.”

“How?”

“It was just a Hoofball accident, I was walking around in a week.”

“I’m just glad that you’re fine. Golden, can I ask you something.”

“Of course.”

“You have to promise to be honest.” I saw her hand on the table and I held it. I looked her in the eye with a smile and she knew that I was going to be honest. “What happened between you and Octavia? I noticed how she looked at you at dinner. Something happened between you two.”

I thought about what I was going to say to her and decided on my first instinct: the truth.

“Last year, there was this creep that stalked Octavia. She told him that we were going out so he would stop following her. I’m not going to lie to you, Angel. She kissed me.” Angel drew back a bit in complete shock. “I promise you, it was nothing. I didn’t kiss her back and it meant nothing. Absolutely nothing. You have to believe me.”

“I do trust you,” she said as she gripped my hand a little harder. “I know that you love me and you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. I don’t know about Octavia. She could have said Shining or some other pony, but she didn’t. She said you. Do you know what that tells me? It tells me that she might have a thing for you. Golden, I wouldn’t ask this unless I needed it. Can you please stop hanging around Octavia?”

“Please don’t do this to me.” I said completely monotone. 

“Please, Golden. If she asks, you can throw me under the carriage, you can make me look like a total bitch and it would just be for a few weeks. Just long enough to remind her that you have me.”

I didn’t say anything at first. I couldn’t understand why she would ask me to just ignore Octavia. On one hand, I would do anything for Angel. I would leap out of my window if she asked me to. However, Octavia is one of my closest friends. We’ve been there for each other at our lowest points and applauded each other at our highest. 

“Can you let me sleep on it?” I say

“Take all the time you need.” Angel stood up with her coffee. She walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek. “I love you,” she said

“Love you too.” I sat there for half an hour drinking my coffee. I was so lost in thought and didn’t notice that I’ve been out of coffee for about ten minutes. I finally realize that there really is only one pony that can help me.

I walked back to the castle in hopes of finding Cadence. To my luck, Cadence was sitting in the garden with Shining. I didn’t mind sharing with him as well. Since we were the only two colts in our group, Shining and I have become like brothers.

I sat down next to them and explained to them my situation. While talking, I noticed Twilight chasing a butterfly. It reminded me of when Cadence and I were young and we would play in the gardens. Back when nothing was complicated and all we had to do was just be foals.

“Wow,” Shining said in shock, “I’m glad I’m not in your position.”

“Well it’s the one I’m in. I have no idea what to do.”

“It’s a hard place to be,” Cadence said. “Do you gain Angel’s trust, but maybe lose Octavia as a friend, or do you stay loyal to Octavia and maybe lose the mare you love?”

“She said I can blame it all on her so Octavia would know it’s what she wants.”

“Fuck that,” Shining said after making sure that Twilight was out of earshot. She was closer to the gardens hedge maze and couldn’t hear us. Our group doesn’t normally cuss, as we see it as the lowest form of expressing yourself verbally, but Shining seemed to think it was appropriate.

“Shining!” Cadence said. If there was anypony that hated cussing, it was defiantly Cadence.

“Sorry Cadence, but you can’t do that, Golden. In Griffin Hoofball we learn to always have each other’s back. You always have to be there for these ponies or else they won’t be there for you. What if you and Angel do end up breaking up? Then you’ll be out two mares.”

“But he loves her,” Cadence said, “And when you love somepony, you’ll do anything for them. Golden, this is your chance to prove your love to her. It’s only going to be a few weeks and Octavia will understand.”

The amazing thing about Cadence and Shining is that they never argue, No matter what the topic is or how much they differ, they will never argue. I think it’s because they don’t want to argue in public. Given the chance when no pony is watching, they would fight until the sun rises.

“What do you think, Golden?” Cadence said.

“I still have no idea,” I said after a long pause. 

I got up and went to my room to listen to my records and think. That’s when I do best thinking is when I’m blasting Bit Jovi. The entire time The Great Gallopsby was sitting there. I haven’t read it since last year. I thought that he was lucky as he never had to choose between his friend and his love. Then I remembered that he was shot and was glad that I wasn’t him.

“Golden, can you turn that down,” Celestia said as she came into my room.

“Sorry, mom,” I said and turned down Wanted Alive or Dead.

“What’s wrong?”

“Who said anything was wrong?”

“The last time you played your music that loud was when you were deciding if you wanted to play Hoofball or Baseball. Now, what’s the choice this time?”

“I…I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Since when don’t you want to talk about it? You always want to talk about your problems with me.”

“I just don’t want to talk about it, mom!” I shouted. It was the first time I’ve ever shouted at my mom. “I don’t always feel like talking to ponies. Sometimes I just want to figure things out on my own.” I noticed that Celestia was a bit shocked. Like I said, I haven’t talked to Celestia like that.

“Alright,” she said, “I’ll leave you alone.” Celestia got up and walked towards the door.

“Wait, mom. I’m sorry. I’m just under a lot of stress and need to deal with it on my own. I’ll mop the hallway for a punishment.”

“It’s alright, Golden. I understand. I can’t say that I was a perfect daughter. There were times when I raised my voice to my mother. I hope you figure it out.”

“Thanks, mom.” She left my room and I was alone to think. I weighed each option in my head and in the end decided on what was the best option.

I skipped dinner and headed to the balcony. I wasn’t sure if what I was about to do was the right decision, but it’s the one I made and I’m going to stick to it. I looked out into the city and up at the moon. I’ve always liked the mare in the moon. I like to think that it’s my real mom watching over me.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Angel said as she snuck up behind me. “Didn’t see you at dinner tonight. Is everything alright?”

“Why do you want me to stay away from Octavia?” I know it seems abrupt and aggressive, but it’s what I had to do.

“Because I’m afraid,” she said. “You’re the princess’s son and your best friend is Princess Cadence. You can have any mare you want, but for some unknown reason, you chose me. Do you know how lucky that makes me feel? I don’t want to lose you, Golden. Late at night, for the past year, I would imagine that you were in my bed and you were holding me. I don’t want to lose you to some mare because you see her more. I’m scared that somepony as beautiful as Octavia would just come by and steal you from me.” She started to cry. I walked over to her and held her close to me.

“I don’t want you to worry about that. I can have any mare, but I don’t want any mare. I want you. I don’t want Octavia, I don’t want any other mare. I love you, Angel and if Cadence has taught me anything, you don’t throw the world love around like it’s a baseball.”

“Do you mean it?”

“Of course I do. And because I love you, I can’t stop hanging out with Octavia. She’s just a friend and that’s all she’ll ever be.”

“Okay,” she said. We spent most of the night there. We talked about all kinds of things until I finally walked her home.

The rest of the summer was like last year, only without the annoyance of Blueblood. It was amazing knowing that we didn’t have to sneak around. We didn’t have to make some excuse to be alone. There were times when she spent the night at the castle. We never did anything, just cuddled.

Compared to last year, Cadence’s party was the best party ever. It didn’t fall on the same day as the gala, but Celestia still let us throw a big party. She didn’t put a limit on it or a cap on our spending. She even said that she would cover any expenses. We took her up on that offer and made it the best party Canterlot has seen. There were ponies talking about it for days, us included.

A few days later Angel, Cadence, Shining, and I were sitting near the hedge maze looking at the statues. There was one that always caught my eye because I thought it was so ugly. It was this thing that looked like a mash up of other animals. Somepony should take a sledgehammer to it.

“No the best part was when Star Heart was dancing,” Shining said, “Who dances like that?”

“The best part…” I began to say. I was interrupted by fanfare. The four of us looked up and saw fleets of carriages flying into the castle. Cadence and I looked at each other.

“You’re 17,” I said.

“You’re 17,” she said.

“What does that mean?” Angel asked.

“I love you,” Cadence and I said to Shining and Angel, respectively. We then ran towards the castle.

I’m not sure why we were running. It wasn’t like we could have stopped it. When a prince or princess turns 17, he or she is eligible for suitors, and they have to choose one. More than likely, that’s those two ponies were going to get married.

“How could we forget?” Cadence said as we ran. “It’s the day we’ve been dreading since we started high school.”

“I know, I know. Hopefully, Celestia will understand that we have Shining and Angel.” I said that, but there was no way I would believe it.

We came into the throne room to find Celestia standing there. She was wearing her favorite dress and her hair was flowing.

“There you two are,” She said, “I was about to send somepony to get you.”

“Mom,” I said out of breath, “we know what this is and please don’t make us go through with it.”

“It’s tradition, Golden.”

“Please Auntie Celestia,” Cadence said, “Why can’t we be happy with the ponies we are with right now?”

“Because it’s what we do. You two are the luckiest ponies in the world, you both know that right? There are ponies out there who would kill to even have the chance of becoming a prince or princess. One of your duties is to keep the royal family alive, and it is tradition that you marry royalty.”

“What about you?” I asked. “Why aren’t you married?”

“It wasn’t by choice. My parents didn’t want a love life to get in the way of my destiny. I don’t have that worry for you two, so I must keep the tradition in any way I can. You two have to look nice, so go get dressed.”

“But mom…” I began to say

“Enough!” Celestia said in her Royal Canterlot Voice. It was something that I’ve read about, but never seen before. Cadence tried it once, but it ended up as just her shouting in the library. It takes years of practice just to get a word out.

“We are your mother, and you will listen to us!”

“Yes ma’am.” Cadence and I said. We hung our heads and walked to our rooms. We reluctantly put on our best clothes and came back to the throne room. We stood on opposite sides of Celestia and quietly waited for our suitors. They came in each with some sort of fanfare or other flashy introduction. Soon the room was filled with ten mares and ten colts. We were told that they would live here for a week and we would have to get to know each of them. At the end of the week, we would have to make our selection. Cadence and I looked at each other. We both knew that this was going to be the longest week we’ve ever had.
> Chapter 15: Suitors (Cadence) 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Golden and I looked out into the group of 20 suitors staring back at us. There were mostly unicorns, a few pegasi, some earth ponies, a griffon, and a zebra. I’ve always liked zebras because of their little couplets they spurt out. I looked at all the colts and compared them to Shining and I would much rather have him over every colt here.

Celestia gave some speech that I was half listening to. Something about how we will choose one mare and one colt to marry us. We couldn’t marry until we were out of High School, so at least we got two years to get to love the person. We were taken to the grand ballroom for a little get to know party.

It was weird going into the grand ballroom and not see the dinner tables set up. The dinners moved from the royal dining room to here when I was in the fifth grade because it accommodated more ponies. I look over to the corner where the foal’s table is usually set up and thought about the first night I met Golden. He was such a scared little thing who had no idea what was going on. Poor thing. Even if I didn’t see my mom every day, I still got the chance to write to her whenever I wanted and she was just a carriage ride away. 

“Excuses me, princess,” one of the suitors said. He was a unicorn with a black mane and a grey coat a little darker than Octavia’s. He was taller than the rest and had the kindest smile. I looked at his neck for his cutie mark, but it was covered. “My name is Monologue. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I said. I thought about just resisting at everything. I wanted to just sit in the corner and think about how I’m going to get through this week. I wasn’t going to leave my room or even talk to anypony, besides Golden of course. I then realized that I was representing all of Canterlot and had to act as such.

“I just wanted to tell you that I don’t care about your title or wealth. I want to get to know the real you.”

“That’s nice to hear. Where are you from?” I asked trying to be nice,

“Los Pegasus, specifically Applewood. My dad is Center Stage.” I was a little shocked to hear that he was Center Stage’s son. Center Stage is probably one of my favorite actors after I saw him as The Spector in The Spector of the Opera. 

“I love your father’s work,” I said as calmly as I could, although I was jumping for joy inside.

“Everypony does. You know, I’m getting into acting too. I played Ziff in a local production of East Side Story.”

“How did that go?”

“Pretty well. There are ponies that said that I saved the show.”

“If you don’t mind, I would like to meet the other guests. We have all week to get to know each other.” I lied a little. I didn’t want to get to know the other guests, but my hands were tied.

“It’s fine. I understand.” Monologue didn’t really socialize with the other colts. He talked to a few and that was it. In a matter of minutes, most of the colts were friends. I noticed that some of the mares tried to be friendly, but it was obviously fake. I never understood why mares were that way. I’m not fake towards Octavia, Vinyl, or Spitfire. 

I walked over to the punch bowl, but I was stopped by the only earth colt here. He was taller than most of the rest and obviously the strongest one. His muscles looked even bigger than Shining’s, even with him taking up boxing. Too bad for him, muscles don’t really impress me.

“Let me save you the trouble, princess,” he said. “My name is Linebacker and yes I will marry you.”

“Cute, but I think nine other colts have the same idea.”

“Come on, sweetie. We both know that there is no pony here that looks as good as I do. Why don’t you tell the others to go home and we can have our wedding right now.”

“Sorry, but I’m not easily impressed. Why don’t you act like every other pony and try to impress me by acting like a decent pony.”

I moved him aside and went to get some punch. I saw another unicorn standing by the table in silence and looking down at his glass. He was well dressed and defiantly the best dressed. It reminded me of when I first saw Shining. He was the only one sitting at the table when Golden and I came in. He wasn’t like the others. He didn’t want to socialize or seem like he wanted to be there at all. I felt a little obligated to talk to him.

“Hi,” I said while I poured a glass of punch. “How are you?”

“I’m sorry?” He said. He looked up at me and pushed up his glasses.

“I’m just saying ‘hi’.”

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something. Hi. I’m good. How about you?”

“I’ve been better. What were you thinking about?”

“How I could impress you when I have muscle head over there to compete with. I mean all I am is a geeky kid who’s never had a mare friend. There’s no way that I could get a princess like you.”

“Well you never know. If there’s one thing I know about love, it doesn’t matter who the other pony is or what they believe. Love doesn’t care about titles or family trees. What matters is that you would do anything for the other pony.”

“So what you’re saying is that there is a chance that we could end up together?”

“Oh no. Sorry, but I have a colt friend. I’m just doing this to entertain my Auntie Celestia.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sorry. You’re sweet, but I’m spoken for.”

“Well, I like to make the best of things. Cheers to a fun week in Canterlot.” 

“Cheers,” I said and we clinked our cups. “What’s your name?”

“Stardust.”

“Try to have some fun, Stardust.” I walked away and noticed that he tried to socialize, but he was too different from the other colts. He seemed to click a little better with some of the mares, but that was just one or two of them.

I tried to find Golden, but instead a Pegasus ran into me. He made me almost spill my drink.

“Sorry,” he said, “it seems like I’m falling for you.” He started laughing at his own joke, but I just rolled my eyes. “Hi, I’m Starney. Starney Binson”

“Hi, have you seen…”

“Probably not, but I have seen you in my dreams.” He thought that he was so charming and witty. Truth be told, the biggest turn off for me are lame pick-up lines. I pushed by him after hearing a few more lines that I would feel ashamed to repeat. I found Golden, but he was trapped by a mare who wouldn’t stop talking. He mouthed “help me”, but I was again blocked. He was a Pegasus pony with a strong Trottingham accent.

“Hey, I’m sorry for my mate over there,” He said. He had a very sweet voice, one that you wanted to say that everything was going to be alright. “I know many of these colts here could be…dirty.”

“It’s fine, I’m used to it at school.”

“Well I would imagine with a filly as beautiful as you. Where are my manners? My name is Gawain.”

“Hello, Gawain. I think you know who I am.”

“Say it anyway. I want to hear you say it.”

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.” What’s wrong with me? I hate being called Mi Amore Cadenza. “Please call me, Cadence.”

“I think I like the other one a bit more. It’s so exotic and lovely.”

“Y-You can call me Mi Amore Cadenza.” Shut up! I won’t even let Shining call me that. I realized that I was blushing, so I ran off as fast as I could. I’m lucky that I put my glass down because I accidently ran into the griffon. Griffons are the type of creature that would get furious at the drop of a hat.

I cowered a bit in fear of him slicing me in two. Somepony grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the way.

“Are you alright?” The griffon said. He didn’t look angry at all. He looked a little concerned for me. I saw Golden out of the corner of my eye and realized that he pulled me aside.

“I’m fine.” I looked over to Golden who was still holding onto my arm. “You can let go,” I said to Golden.

“Sorry,” he said. “Just acting on instinct.” I can see that he was happy because he finally got away from that talker. Golden walked off, but took his sweet time doing it.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t be standing in everypony’s way,” the griffon said.

“You’re not like other griffons are you?”

“If you’re talking about the legendary griffon anger, than no I’m not. My name is Gildheart, the prince of the griffons. I’m told that I have to represent all griffons and we are not all hot headed.”

“Well, glad to know that you won’t get angry easily.”

“Of course not. I’m sorry princess, but I was talking to this young colt here.” I looked around Gildheart and saw that he was talking to Stardust. I was a little happy that he started to socialize.

“I’ll let you get back to your conversation.”

There was suddenly somepony started playing a jazz saxophone. I, like most other pones in the room, gathered around the colt playing it. He was a light blue pegasus was a dark blue mane. I started to think about what it would sound like if he and Octavia worked together. I then thought that would sound awful. The structure of classical couldn’t work with the freeform of jazz, although I do actively enjoy both.

“Thank you,” He said when he finished his first song. “My name is Jazz Bass and I’ll be here all week. Longer if that mare right there wants to marry me.”

He started playing for a while longer, but he was more of a background noise.

“Great set,” another unicorn pony said to me, “even if I never really enjoyed jazz.” He looked familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“Really? I’ve always thought that jazz artists where the most creative musicians in Equestria.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all their work. It takes something special to come up with something on the fly and it’s certainly something I can’t do. I just don’t enjoy it.”

I know that I’ve met him before, I just can’t figure it out. I think that I’ve at least heard his voice before, I just can’t put a name to the voice.

“Can you settle a bet for me?” he said. I nodded my head not really paying attention to him. I was way too busy trying to figure out who he was. “Is that pony Monologue?”

“Yes. Who are you?” I said after finally giving up. He started to chuckle a bit, furthering my confusion.

“You really don’t know who I am? I’m not surprised. You’re used to seeing me in a mask.” Right then it clicked.

“Masquerade? Oh my god, what are you doing here?” I said as I hugged him. 

Masquerade was the only suitor that lived in Canterlot. His family owned a string of business and if they didn’t, they still found a way to make a profit off of them. No money in Canterlot changes hands without his family knowing about it. They were also legendary for treating their employees with the upmost respect. Ponies would work for them until they retire and then they would receive a generous pension.

I’ve really only met him once when we were younger and he came to one of the dinners. He looked so different then, so younger. Since middle school, he always threw a masquerade ball for his birthday. We always attended it, but we couldn’t find him with his mask. Every year I talked to him, but it I didn’t know at the time because of the mask.

“What every other colt is doing. I want to win you over,” He said. “It’s all the colts at school talk about, at least those who don’t have are heads up our flanks. I heard about this whole thing, and seeing as how my family is one of the richest and most successful in all of Equestria, I decided to throw my hat in.”

“You know I’m with Shining, right?”

“I know and I want to make you a deal. Give me a week to really get to know me. If by the end of the week, you don’t chose me, we can still be friends. No hard feelings. If, however, you think that there is some chance that something can happen between us, you have to choose me.”

I thought about it for a while. There was no chance that I would ever fall for Masquerade when I have Shining.

“Deal,” I said.

“You have to give me a fair chance. That means no ignoring me.”

“Deal.”

“I’ll let you mingle with the other ponies before you send them home.”

“You’re that confident that you can woe me?”

“I’ve met the other ponies. None of them hold a candle to me. You may think that you won’t fall for me, but you haven’t really got to know me, you know the mask.”

“We’ll see,” I said as I walked off. 

I decided that the next pony I talk to wouldn’t be because we ran into each other or he initiated the conversation. I walked towards a Pegasus that I didn’t recognize. He had a teal coat and was talking to one of the girls. As I approached him, I noticed that it got a little colder. I tapped his shoulder to get his attention. His fur was ice cold and I think I saw some frost on one of his wings.

“Hi,” I said. “I’m Cadence. I thought it would be nice if I introduced myself to the colts around here.”

“Snowy Glacier. I’m sorry princess, but I was talking to this nice filly here and I hate to ice ponies out.” He turned back around to talk to another pony. He seemed more interested in talking to her than me, which made me happy. One less pony I have to worry about. I didn’t see him or that other mare for the rest of the night. I think we can all assume what they were up to.

As I walked away from him, I noticed another Pegasus who looked like he was going out of his way to avoid the mares at the party.

“Are you alright?” I asked him.

“I’m fine,” He said. He was backing away from me and looked as if he didn’t want to talk to me.

“Are you sure? You look like is if you’re allergic to mares.”

“I’m sorry princess, but I don’t really want to be here. It’s not that I don’t find you pretty, it’s that I kindda already have a mare friend and I love her.”

“Don’t worry, I know how you feel. I’m only here because my Auntie Celestia is making me. Something about a stupid tradition.”

“Me too, except for that Auntie Celestia part. My parents are all like ‘You have to go here and win her heart, Charming. It’s tradition that the colts in our family marry a princess.’” I laughed at his impersonation of his parents “My name is Charming, by the way.”

“Cadence,” I said. There was something about Charming that I liked. It was probably the fact that he was the only one here without a second agenda. He just wanted to get through this week and hope I didn’t choose him. 

I ended up talking to him for the rest of our time at the party. He told me about his mare friend and she sounds like a lovely mare. We found out that we have a lot in common, mainly about our ideas about love. It was nice to talk to a new colt and have no sexual tension between us. Golden eventually joined us and by the time we finished talking, we were the only ones left in the room. We realized that it was almost ten and time to call it a day.

“This is going to be the longest week of our lives.” Golden said to me he walked me to my room. “I can’t believe that my mom is making us do this. She’s encouraged me to go for Angel since I first told her that I wanted to be with her.”

“I know, Golden, but it’s what we have to do. We’re royalty and we unfortunately have to follow tradition. Trust me, there’s nothing I want than to be in Shining’s arms. Good night, Golden.”

“Good night, Cadence.”

I closed my door and laid down on my bed. I tried to think of any way possible to get out of this, but I couldn’t think of anything. I finally decided that I just had to suck it up and pick one of them. Who knows, maybe the real colt of my dream is here. I have to at least give them a chance.

“Cadence,” Shining’s voice in my head said before I fell asleep. I was going to miss his voice.

“Cadence,” It said again. I didn’t want to think about it so I just ignored it.

“Cadence,” Now I’m annoyed. Please head, I don’t want to think about Shining right now.

“Cadence, come to the window.” Alright voice, if I listen to you will you shut up. I started to get out of bed and looked at the window. Shining was there. I ran over to the window and kissed him. It was nice and passionate and something I needed after today.

“What are you doing here?”

“I missed you, and you didn’t tell me what was going on.”

“It’s this stupid thing that Auntie Celestia is making me and Golden do.”

“What is it?”

“Wait, how are you standing here? My room is on the second floor.”

“Hi Cadence,” Soarn’ said. I pocked my head out the window and saw that Shining was standing on him.

“Now will you tell me what’s going on?”

“Alright, but you can’t get jealous. There are ten colts here that want to marry me and I have to choose one of them by the end of the week.”

“What? Princess Celestia can’t make you do that.”

“She can. It’s a tradition and I have to obey. I’m so sorry Shining.”

“Does that mean we…” Neither of us wanted to say it. I looked at the floor and started to cry. “No! We can’t! I love you Cadence, and there is nothing that anypony can do to stop me!”

“What? No! Never. None of them can hold a candle to you Shining. I love you too much be even think of being with any one of them for a second."

“Don’t worry Cadence, I’m going to figure this out.” We kissed again and he left afterwards and I was by myself in a dark room. I knew that Shining would find a way to get me and Golden out of this, but there was a little part of me thought that I was trapped.
> Chapter 15: Suitors (Golden)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cadence and I looked out into the group of 20 suitors staring back at us. There were mostly unicorns, a few pegasi, an earth pony or two, a griffon, and a zebra. I’ve always liked zebras because of their little couplets they spurt out. I looked at all the mares and compared them to Angel and I would much rather have her over every mare here.

Celestia gave some speech that I was half listening to. Something about how we will choose one mare and one colt to marry us. We couldn’t marry until we were out of High School, so at least we got two years to get to love the person. We were taken to the grand ballroom for a little get to know party.

It was weird going into the grand ballroom and not see the dinner tables set up. The dinners moved from the royal dining room to here when I was in the fifth grade because it accommodated more ponies. I look over to the corner where the foal’s table is usually set up and thought about the first night I met Cadence. She was such a happy and energetic pony. She is the pony that would try and be friends with you because she didn’t know you. Granted, if she did get to know you and she ended up liking you, she wouldn’t talk to you again, but that was everypony. I really am lucky to have met her.

I decided to at least talk to the mares, maybe play along a bit. It really was just so that my mom doesn’t yell at me with her Royal Canterlot Voice. It scared me a little at first. It was like she was herself. 

The first mare I approached was a white unicorn with a dirty blond mane. I figured that if I was going to pick somepony new, she was at least going to look like Angel.

“Hello, I’m…”

“Like oh my god!” And it begins. “Am I like the first mare you talked to? Does that mean that you like like me more than the other mares?”

“Well…”

“OMG, you do. I knew coming here was a good idea. My name is Starlight Secret.”

“I’m going to go the other way,” I said while backing away from her.

“Bye wubby.”

“Picked a real winner there didn’t you, mom?” I said under my breath. 

I looked around the room and saw that most of the other ponies are talking to some other pony, except for two. There was a colt standing next to the punch bowl and a mare sitting in the corner. I figured that I should let Cadence deal with the colt. As I got closer I realized that she was reading a book.

“What are you reading?” I said. She looked up and I noticed that she was wearing glasses over her green eyes.

“Just the new Doctor Whooves book. Do you read?”

“Just started. I read the one where the Cyber-Ponies are introduced.”

“That’s one of my favorites!” She said as she stood up. She was taller than most of the other ponies, but still came up to my chin. “I’m Emerald Chamber.”

“Golden Shield. So, why are you here reading and not socializing?”

“I’m not vary social. I have a few friends at home, but that’s about it. I don’t really get out that much, and that’s how I like it.”

“So what are you doing here?”

She didn’t answer and started to blush. I realized that she was getting a little uncomfortable and decided to let her be. I told her that she could go back to her book. I started to walk around.

“Whoa, you’re chi is completely off,” a mare said to me. She was yellow earth pony with a messy mane. “Concentrate with me.” She closed her eyes and started to balance on one hoof.

“Hi…” I said with a bit of confusion in my voice, “I’m Golden Shield.”

“Star Dancer Moon Beam” She said without opening her eyes or breaking her concentration.

“That’s…interesting…”

“I picked it. My parents put something on my birth certificate and told me I could pick my own name when I could talk. Those were my favorite words.”

I slowly walked away while she was talk and now doing yoga in the middle of the room. When I turned around, I was face to face with the zebra.

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“It’s alright, I completely understand
You’re getting away from the situation at hand.
That one doing yoga is a little odd
And a little turn off, if I might be so broad.”

“I always love how you do that. Do you take the time to figure out what you’re going to say or does it just come natural?”

“It just comes natural to me
And all other zebras, as you can see.
Pundamilia is my name
And the princess of zebras is what I became.”

“Pan…Pud…do you have a nickname?” I said as she chuckled a bit.

“Milia is what I am called by my friends
I think you can call me that when this conversation ends.”

“Are you saying that you just want to be friends?”

“To be honest Golden Shield
As the truth cannot be concealed.
I’m not really attractive to ponies at all
But my parents made me come here, if I can recall.”

“To be honest with you, I don’t really want to be here either. I’ve been with this mare for over a year now. The only reason why I’m here is because my mom is making me.”

“Well, at least you know you’re going to break nine hearts instead of ten
But I have a feeling that something will go wrong again and again.”

“Well that makes me feel great. I think I should at least try and meet the other ponies.” I walked away and started to think about Angel. Even with all these other mares, just begging for my attention, I could only think about her. I really didn’t want to be here.

I looked at the door and thought how easy I could just walk to the bath room and Captain Iron Side might just stop me and ask for my help. It seemed like a perfect plan and Captain Iron Side might lie for me.

I had a clear line for the door. I walked as fast as I could, but was stopped by a light blue earth pony.

“Hi,” She said as she jumped in front of me, completely blocking my path, “My name is Chatter Box. I’m an earth pony, as you can tell, from Manehatten and I’m 17 years old.”

“Hi, Chatter Box. I’m…”

“Oh, I know who you are. You’re Prince Golden Shield, Princess Celestia’s adoptive son. Oh, sorry. Do you not like to be called adoptive? I had a friend like that once. She said that she didn’t care, her parents loved her just the same. Come to think of it, I still have that friend. She’s a really nice mare. I wish that she could be here. She would have loved Canterlot. I know I do. I have since I was a filly…” 

I lost track of what she was talking about and eventually it was just white noise. I saw Cadence from across the room and mouthed “Help me” to her. She too was stopped by a suitor. I’m not sure what he said, but she was blushing by the end of their conversation. She then bumped into the griffon and I ran to save her.

Griffons are known to get angry at the drop of a hat. That and their sharpened talons makes them extremely dangerous creatures. There was nothing worse you can see in an infirmary than a pony who was attacked by a griffon. 

When I saw Cadence bump into the only griffon here, I thought that was the last time I was going to see her in one piece. I jumped into action and ran over to her. I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from where I thought the griffon was going to swipe.

“Are you alright?” He said

“I’m fine,” Cadence said. She turned to me and smiled. “You can let go now.” I didn’t realize that I was still holding onto her until she said that.

“Sorry, just acting on instinct.” I let go and walked away, but I lingered a bit.

Whenever Cadence or I didn’t want to be in a certain place, we would always stay close to each other, so we would always have somepony to talk to. I was hoping that she would get the message and ask me to stay with her.

I tried again for the door, but I was stopped. At least I was away from that talker.

“Hey,” Another mare said as she pulled me aside. “I just wanted to say, that was very brave of you.”

“Thanks. It’s what I do.”

“Is that what your cutie mark stands for? Are you protector of royalty?”

“Yeah. I actually got it from saving her.”

“It’s a little ironic, don’t you think? Usually a brave and noble knight saves the damsel in distress, not the prince.”

“Well, this isn’t exactly a fairy tale. I’ve actually been thinking about joining the royal guard after high school.”

“I think you would cute in guard’s armor. I’m Star Darling.”

There was something that I like about Star Darling. I couldn’t really put my finger on it. It seemed more like she wanted to be friends instead of trying for something. I spent some time talking to her, mostly making fun of the more outrageous personalities here. Suddenly, we heard somepony play a saxophone. We gathered around him and watched him play. He said something about Cadence picking him.

“Another egotistical suitor,” A dark blue unicorn said after the audience disbanded. “Just like all the rest.”

“I don’t think all of them look that bad. I mean there’s that one.” I pointed to a colt talking to the griffon and pushing up his glasses.

“Why else would he be here unless he wanted to get into her pants? And by the way, if you ask me to marry you, I’m probably going to say ‘no’. I don’t need some prince to decide if I’m pretty there ten other pieces of plastic.”

“My name is Golden Shield, by the way. What’s yours?”

“Night Shade.”

“That’s how a normal conversation should go.”

“Fuck off.” She walked away from me, but that was the plan. I don’t really associate with the negative types. There’s just something about them that makes me feel so depressed.

I plunged my hands into my pockets in hopes of strolling out of the room as if I was a cartoon comic character, but I felt something that wasn’t in my pocket before. I took out a note and unfolded it. A key with “332” inscribed on it and picture of one of the mares was in it.

Meet me in my room at 10. Don’t be late…
-XOXO
Vyxsin

I looked up and saw the mare from the picture across the room. She was a red unicorn in a revealing black dress. She looked at me and winked. I gulped and tried not to make eye contact the rest of the night. 

The next two ponies I met were twins and they were just like Starlight Secret, but a little less dense. They were in perfect sync with each other and could even make a sentence by switching off words.

“And by the way,” the one named Ruby said, “If you pick one of us…”

“…you’re going to get both of us.” Sapphire

I was finally finished with meeting all the mares. There were some ponies left in the room, but most had left. I found Cadence who was talking to a rather nice colt. She told me that he already had a mare friend and really wasn’t interested in Cadence. While I was happy for Cadence, I secretly wished that at least one of the mares had a colt friend or something. There was Night Shade, but I might just pick her to see how she reacts. I realized that it was almost ten and thought that Vyxsin was probably looked out of her room. I walked Cadence to her room and then went to room 332. She was sitting outside her room wait for me.

“I knew you would come!” She said as she stood up and threw her arms around me.

“Well this is the only copy of the key that we have.”

“I wish I would have known that before I gave it to you. Do you want to come in?”

“Sorry Vyxsin, but I have a mare friend.”

“Aw, it’s cute that you’re already calling me your mare friend. Now come on, big boy.”

“No, I really do have a mare friend, and I’m sorry, but I’m staying with her.”

“Alright Prince, I’ll play your game for now, but know this:” She got closer and closer to me and soon grabbed my hands. “I always get what I want. And what I want is you inside me when this week is over. Trust me, by this time Sunday, you’ll be begging for this flank.” She put my hands on her flank. She kept them there for what had to be the longest thirty seconds of my life. When she finally let go, she turned around and went into her room.

There is no way Angel is going to hear about that.

I walked back to my room thinking of Angel the entire time. When I opened my door I saw Angel sitting in my window. 

“Speak of the Angel and she will come.” We laughed and then she came into my room. We hugged each other. She wrapped her wings around me, which would bring me closer to her.

“Before you say anything, Shining already told me everything.”

“How did he find out?”

“Cadence told him.”

“How did he talk to Cadence?”

“Hi, Golden!” Soarin’ faintly said from the ground. I always forget how good a pegasus’s hearing can be.

“So, you know about the other mares?”

“Yes,” She said with a bit of fear in her voice. I knew what she was afraid of. She said it on the balcony.

“Then I think you’ll be pleased to know, you look so much better than all of them combined.”

“Damn straight. But I’m still afraid that you’re going to leave me for one of those mares. Why wouldn’t you? You probably have them eating out of your hands. You really can have any one of them and you have to pick one of them.”

“I told you before. I don’t want any other pony I want you. Cadence and I are going to be busy this entire week and we need your help. You, Shining, Octavia, Spitfire, and Vinyl need to find some way out of this. But if you ever need to talk to me…”

I walked over to a desk in my room, took out a sheet of paper and put a spell on it. I then leaned out my window and did a special whistle. A few second later Philomena landed on my shoulder.

“Do that whistle and Philomena will come. Write on this paper and give it to her. It won’t burn, the spell will make sure of that. If you want to erase something, than just rub it with your finger.”

“Are you sure this will work?”

“Why wouldn’t it? Who would suspect little Philomena here of passing notes.”

“Okay. I love you, Golden.”

“I love you too.” We kissed and she left my room as quietly as she could. I didn’t hear the guards, so I assume that she was able to make it off the castle ground. I went to bed shortly after and fell asleep easily. For some reason, I didn’t feel worried about this week. Maybe it was because I knew my friends would find some way to get me and Cadence out of this.

> Chapter 16: Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up the next morning and found a note that somepony slipped under my door.

Please come to the Grand Ballroom for a breakfast. The castle chefs are all waiting to serve you.

-Princess Celestia

I rolled my eyes as I read the note. I didn’t really know why Celestia was making us do this. She knew that we already had other ponies. She even encouraged me to go after Angel when we first met. It’s not like her to tell me or Cadence to go get something and then make us give it up.

Either way, I had to obey her or face her Canterlot Voice. I decided to take a shower and get dressed for the day. I was still the first person to walk into the Ballroom, but that’s because it was about 7:45 in the morning. The six chefs were each standing in their own cooking area, three on each side of the room.

“Good morning, chef,” I said as I approached Chef Celery Stalk.

“Bonjour, Prince Golden Shield. What can I make you for petit déjeuner?”

“Can you make my usual?”

“Oui, monsieur.” She started making me her special crêpes. I can’t really tell what’s in them. Even when I watch her, she always puts in her secret ingredient the second I turn away. The other flavors of the ingredients mix in perfectly and I can’t figure it out. By the time she finished, Cadence had walked in, also dressed for the day, and ordered Chef Fasnacht’s signature chocolate crêpes. I made my way to the tables to find that there was a place card for me and Cadence. Under each card was another note.

This table can only seat four ponies. You and Cadence must sit here and you are free to invite any other pony to sit here with you. I suggest you pick the ponies who you didn’t get to know yesterday.
Love,
Your mother

I again rolled my eyes again and took a seat. I waited for Cadence before I started eating, which wasn’t the long.

“Any ideas?” She said after she read a similar note. As she read, more and more ponies started to come in.

“I have tons of ideas.”

“Any of them about our situation.”

“No.”

“Me neither. What are we going to do?”

“I was hoping that you would know some sort of love spell and make them fall in love with each other.”

“I can’t make other ponies love each other. I can remind them that they love each other, but I can’t make them love each other, but that does give me an idea. What if we made them love each other. Push them into broom closets, send them to the balcony, give them some alone time. If they pick each other, they’ll turn us down when we pick them.”

“That’s the problem. They do want us. I don’t know about you, but I met some ponies that will die for me. Starlight Secret is already calling me ‘wubby’, but she’s not too bright to begin with. I’m pretty sure that the twins have their targets set on me, and then there’s Vyxsin.”

“What’s wrong with Vyxsin?”

“Oops,” Vyxsin said as she passed by our table, “I’ve dropped my napkins.” By now, the other ponies were either waiting for their food or already eating. She bent over to show off her flank in a pair of tight jeans. She took her time and doing it and didn’t even come up with napkins.

“I see,” Cadence said when Vyxsin was out ear shot.

“Good morning, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” One of the suitors said.

“Her name is Cadence,” I said.

“It’s fine, Golden,” Cadence said. She was blushing a little which I thought was weird. “This is Gawain, and I told him that he can call me that.”

“I look forward to spending the day with you.” He walked away and Cadence was still blushing.

“What’s wrong with you? You won’t even let Shining call you Cadenza. If I even considered calling you Cadenza, you would have a dungeon built and then throw me in there.”

“I know. I just…”

“Save it.”

We talked a little more about the other ponies. We quickly realized that we had to share our table with two other ponies. I decided to give my seat to Emerald and Cadence gave her seat to Stardust. I picked Emerald because she seemed more interested in her Doctor Whooves books than being here. Cadence said that she picked Stardust because she had already told him the situation and he wasn’t really interested in her. We asked the other two what they thought about the other ponies. Towards the end, a butler handed me and Cadence a note. This one was different from the others. This one was written out in a more personal hand writing.

Dear Princess Cadence and Prince Golden Shield

I understand that neither of you want to be in this situation, but I thank you for obeying my requests. I understand that you have other ponies, but this is something that we must do. While the decision is up to you, I suggest that you spend the day really getting to know these other ponies. You should make sure that the pony that you choose is the best pony here. Today, the castle grounds are open to all of you, however, you may not leave the grounds without my permission. To help you make your decision, I have asked your friends Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and Spitfire to the castle.   

Love Your Mother/Aunt

Princess Celestia

While I was still upset, I was glad that I would at least see my friends. Cadence and I made the announcement that they may not leave the castle and went our separate ways. Some of the mares tried to stop me, but I told them that I would be right back. Truth be told, I was going to my hiding space.

The Canterlot Hedge Maze is extremely complicated. To even enter the maze, you must be with a pony that knows a teleportation spell, in case you get lost. No pony has ever made it to the center. Rumor has it that there is a treasure for the first pony to reach it. Ponies have made maps of the maze in hopes of making it to the center themselves or giving their next of kin a head start. I’ve tried several times, but ended up teleporting out. My third time, however, I decided to follow a map and found a large dead end. It was beautiful. It had its own garden and fountain. It was uncharted on the map I was using and on all the other maps. Whenever I want to escape, I immediately go here, and no pony can find me, until today.

I was listening to the sound of the falling water of the fountain, just minding my own business.

“Hey, you.” A feminine voice said. I didn’t really have time to figure out who it was. I turned around and was glad to see Vinyl.

“Jesus Vinyl,” I said as I hugged her, “you scared me. How did you find this place?”

“I saw you come in here and followed you. Cadence told us what’s happening.”

“Did you meet any of them?”

“I met the hippie, the twins, and that colt with the bad pick-up lines. I think the love of your life is in there.”

“Shut up.”

“So, what are you guys gonna do?”

“What can we do?”

“Tell your mom that you don’t want to do it.”

“What do you think was the first thing we tried? It’s apparently a tradition and my mom doesn’t want to be the first pony to break a tradition.”

“Who cares about tradition? It’s just something that our parents do. That doesn’t mean we have to do it.”

“I know Vinyl, but I can’t change her mind. She’s set in her ways and there’s nothing we can do. She used her Royal Canterlot Voice on us, that’s how serious she is.”

“That doesn’t sound like her.”

“Well it happened and there’s nothing we can do, form here. Shining and Angel are trying to figure how we can get out of this. When you’re not here, you, Octavia, and Spitfire should help them.”

“What do we look for?”

“Anything. Loophole or a legend or an alternative, anything that might help us.”

“Alright. Hey can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Have you ever considered us?”

“Not really. You’ve been like a sister to me. You’re always there when I needed you and always willing to stand up for us. Doesn’t that make you like our groups big sister?”

“Yeah I guess. What about Spitfire?”

“Let’s be honest, she’s my cool twin. Why do you ask? Have you ever thought about us?” Vinyl didn’t really respond at first. She just laughed.

“Give me a second,” she said while trying to stop laughing. “Dude, it’s like you said. I’m everypony’s big sister.”

“Let’s get out of here before a pony like Vyxsin finds this place. God knows what would happen if she found me here.”

“Is that the one with the knockers in the tight jeans?” She said as I got ready the teleportation spell

“Yes…”

“I’m not saying that I swing that way, but I would tap that.”

“Shut up Vinyl.”

The spell took effect and we were transported to the maze’s entrance. I noticed Star Darling turn around as the magic around us faded.

“Hey,” She said as she came towards us. “Is this the Angel that Princess Cadence told me about?”

“No, this is a good friend of mine, Vinyl Scratch. Vinyl this is Star Darling.”

“What’s up?” Vinyl said and stuck her hand out for a handshake.

“Charmed,” Star said. She shook Vinyl’s hand, but I think Vinyl had to tight grip. It was something that she would do to give somepony the signal to back off without saying anything. “Can I speak to you in private, prince?”

“Sure,” I said. “Why don’t you find Cadence, Vinyl?”

“Okay, but I want you to remember that you’re and Angel,” she said as she walked away and gave Star the stink eye.

“Ignore her, she’s a little protective of our group. You should have seen her when Spitfire became our friend. So, what’s on your mind?” We started to walk around the hedge maze towards the statue garden.

“I just thought that we didn’t really connect yesterday. We didn’t really get to know each other.”

I thought back to yesterday when I first met her. She didn’t really stand out or have any quirks that stood above every pony else. It was weird. I liked her more than the others because she was relatively normal and somepony that I could really connect with.

“I was thinking that we play a little game. I’ll ask you a question and then you can ask me a question. No secrets, no lies, and nothing is off limits. What do you think?”

“Nothing’s off limits?”

“Nothing.”

“I don’t know Star.”

“Come on, Prince. Carpe diem.”

“I’m a sucker for Old Ponyian. Alright.”

“Okay, first question: Where did you come from? I heard that you were adopted, but you had to have come from somewhere?”

“The Everfree Forrest I guess. Celestia found me when I was four and she took me here. She officially adopted me two years later. What about you? Where do you come from?”

“Applewood. Actually, I go to the same school as Starlight Secret. We don’t have the same group of friends, but I see her all the time. My turn. Have you and Princess Cadence ever been…”

“No!” I said without missing a beat, “No, were just friends.”

“Do you ever want to be more than just friends with her?”

“I thought it was my turn. Why are you here?”

“It’s not because I want to be a princess or anything, if that’s what you’re thinking. I mean the title would be nice, but…”

“But…”

“Do you believe in love at first sight?”

“It’s how I met Angel.”

“Well, my family came here about two years ago on vacation and I saw you at a café with your friends. I wanted to say something, but I was just a shy little filly then. And then you did something that I’ll never forget. A pony was trying to steal somepony’s purse and you and your friend chased after him. When you gave the purse back, you didn’t ask for a reward or anything. You just swaggered off like nothing happened.”

“You were there for that?”

“Yes, and right then I knew that this was more than just an infatuation. I knew that you were the one for me and I had to at least talk to you. Unfortunately, we left before I could see you again. I did some research into royal wedding and the found out about this. I begged my parents to let me at least try. It took some time and two years of proving that I was ready, and then I heard the fanfare outside my house. I know that you have somepony to call your own right now, but all I ask is that you at least give me a chance. I know that I can prove to you that we belong together.”

I didn’t want to admit it, but there was a chance that Cadence and I couldn’t get out of this. Maybe there wasn’t a way out. Then what? There would be nothing we could do except accept our fate. Maybe Celestia was right, we should get to know these ponies and figure out which one was the best.

“Alright. I’m not saying that I’m done with Angel, but I’m not going to shut everypony out. If you can somehow make me love you more than I love Angel and all the other ponies here, then I’ll propose to you.”

We both looked at one of the statues, which turned out to be the spirit of love. It was the only statue in the garden to be made out of marble and the most beautiful. I always thought it was an insult to put it next to the spirit of chaos, probably the ugliest statue we have.

“That has to be a good sign,” She said, “I’ll leave you alone for a while.”

She walked off and I was alone for a little while. Suddenly, Philomena landed on my shoulder and dropped a note into my hands. 

I miss you and tell Cadence that Shining misses her. Tell the girls to meet us at the public library ASAP
XOXO
Angel

Reading the note made me smile. I could hear her voice in her head, and I’m sure Cadence would love to hear that Shining is thinking about her. I ordered Philomena to get me a quill, paper, and my special bag. I wrote to Angel telling her that I missed her too and all she has to do is wait a week. I took out a treat from my bag and threw it into the air for Philomena. Finally I told her to take my note back to Angel and gave her one more treat.

I walked back to the castle to try and find my friends. I looked in the entrance hall, the ballroom, even her bedroom. I decided to try the library, but only found Stardust and Emerald Chamber with two big stacks to books. I looked at the spines of both stacks were just Doctor Whooves books.

“What are you guys up to?” They didn’t respond, so I repeated the question. They still didn’t respond, so I thought of something that would get their attention. “EXTERMINATE!” I shouted. They both jumped up and looked up from the book.

“Hey Prince,” Stardust said. “Did you know that you have every Doctor Whooves book here?”

“I live here, so yeah.”

“Also every Daring Do and almost every other book you can think of.”

“My mom tries to keep the library stocked with any book anypony can think of. She likes to keep our guests entertained with any book they want.”

“I could live here,” Emerald said

“What are you two doing here? You know there are other ponies you could talk to and you are here to try and marry me and Cadence.” The two looked at each other and then back at me.

“I have something to confess,” Emerald said, “I’m only here because I heard about the Canterlot Castle library and I just had to see it for myself. Don’t get me wrong, you are good looking, but I’m a little more interested in these books.”

“And you,” I said to Stardust.

“Cadence told me that there was no chance of us being together, so I thought might as well enjoy myself. I spent most of the morning walking around and checking out the castle. Since we couldn’t leave the castle grounds, I decided to come in here and read.”

“Fair enough. Have either of you seen Cadence?”

“I think she’s with her friends,” Emerald said. “By the way, was that Octavia Melody? I heard she is one of the best cellist in Equestria.”

“She is, trust me,” I said as I left the library.

I don’t really remember what happened for the next few hours as Chatter Box stopped me and started talking. I think in I got fifty words in the entire conversation. As far as I could remember it started out talking about how delicious breakfast was, to a sandwich shop in her hometown, to beaches, to something about candy. Before I knew it, she was talking about monkeys and it was time to get ready for dinner. I walked back to my room and was stopped by Cadence.

“Hey,” she said, “I’ve been looking for you. Where have you been?”

“I’m not really sure. The last thing I remember was Chatter Box talking then I was here. I think I just lost a few hours of my life.”

“That tends to happen. Go get ready for dinner. Auntie Celestia reserved the royal dining room for us. She wants us to invite another pony to our table again, but she wants us to pick different ponies.”

“You saw my mom today?”

“No, just another note. She’s been so elusive all day. I ask one guard, they say she’s in her throne room. I ask another guard and they say that she’s doing a private lesson with Twilight. I can’t get a straight answer out of any of them.”

“It’s not like her to act this way. Usually she would do anything to see either one of us, but she’s been so distant lately. Oh, and before I forget, Angel and Shining sent this.”

I handed Cadence the note Philomena delivered. She read it and started to tear up a bit. I went into my room and put on the outfit that was chosen for me. That was something that I liked about being a prince. I have my own personal tailor and she always knows what I look best in and loves making clothes for royalty.

I walked into the dining room to find almost exactly set up the way it was when I was little. The only difference is that the long table where the princess and her honored guest sit was replaced with a smaller version that can only seat four and the foal table was removed. Again, I was the first pony in the room, so I took a seat at the shortened long table and waited. Cadence came in shortly after.

“How was your day?” I asked Cadence as she took a seat.

“Awful. Do you know what it’s like being hit on all day? Not only that, but that same pony is also hitting on your friends. Worst of all, they are the worst pick-up lines I’ve ever heard.”

“They can’t be that bad.”

“Really? ‘I forgot my teddy bear at home, can I sleep with you?’”

“Wow.”

“Sadly, that was the best one.”

“That was the best one?”

“If I said another one I would have to wash my mouth out with soap. And then there’s Gawain.” Cadence started to bite her lower lip. I had to snap my fingers in front of her face and shake her back to reality. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“You can say that again. He called you the ‘M’ phrase this morning. I can’t even think of the phrase without you being furious at me.”

“I know, but there’s just something about him that makes me stop caring. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s not real. It just feels artificial.”

We talked a bit more before the other ponies came in and took a seat. I decided to give my extra seat to Star Darling, as I wanted to give her that chance she wanted. Cadence decided to give her seat to Masquerade, who I always thought would be taller. He was a nice pony, but I expected him, out of everypony in Canterlot, to be here.

I decided to skip desert. Mainly because I couldn’t stop thinking about Angel. When I got back to my room, I saw Philomena sitting on her perch, but no new note. I threw another treat into the air and she caught it and few off to her nest. I changed into my pajamas and started to read the next Doctor Whooves book, The Idiot’s Candle. I was pretty deep into the book when I heard a knock on my door.

“Oops,” Vyxsin said as I opened the door. She was wearing nothing but a bra and panties. I tried using my hands to cover her, but she tried her best to stop me from at least covering her large bust. I didn’t really realize it until I saw her bite her lip, but I was shirtless. “Sorry, I thought that it was my room.”

“Well, it’s obviously not.”

“Well…” She said after a few moments of silence.

“Well what?”

“Aren’t you going to invite me in? A gentlecolt always invites a lady in and princes are gentlecolts. Plus, it’s cold out here. I mean look at my…”

“Just come in!” I said. She didn’t wait for me to finish my sentence. She sat down on the chair in front of my desk.

“Burr, it’s cold,” she said.

“It’s summer.”

“It’s the one cold summer night.”

“You’re not vary convincing.”

“Fine, don’t believe me. I hope you don’t mind if I make myself more comfortable.” She started to reach behind her and take off her bra. Thankfully, I was able to get to her before she was able to remove anything.

“Let’s just keep our clothes on,” I said.

“Oh, I see. You like to have your mares wear something while doing the horizontal dance. Fine, but you’re missing out on two amazing treasures,” she said while walking towards my bed.

“Please Vyxsin, just go. I’m tired and just want to go to sleep.”

“You don’t have to do anything.”

“Just, go back to your room.”

“Alright,” she said finally giving up. She came closer to me to the point where she was pressing her body against mine. “To be continued.”

I didn’t have a real problem falling a sleep that night, especially after locking my door. I don’t really remember what my dream was about. I guess that means Chatter Box was in it. I consider myself lucky that I black out whenever she starts to talk. Makes the day go by faster.

I woke up the next morning to find the same note as yesterday. I again, got ready for the day, gabbed Philomena’s treats, and was the first one to order and sat down at the table. There was another note written on Celestia’s personal paper. This time, we were told that we may freely explore Canterlot, but she wants me and Cadence to spend the day with at least one pony. Our friends have been informed to interfere as little as possible. I was glad to see that we didn’t have to invite anypony to sit at our table this time. That means Cadence and I get to talk freely. I decided not tell her or anypony about the incidents with Vyxsin.

For the first time since this whole thing started, we didn’t talk about the other ponies. We just sat that and talked about some current events. We eventually told them that they may leave the castle and suggested a time they should be back to get ready for dinner. I wasn’t really sure which pony I should spend the day with. I saw Cadence go off with Center Stage. I assumed that she took him to see Manespray. 

I watched some of the ponies leave the room and saw the twins leaving at the same time, not talking to anypony. I decided that I would ask both of them to hang out today.

“Ruby. Sapphire.” I said as I ran towards them. “Hey, I know this café around here that makes the best coffee in Canterlot. Do you two want to come with me?” They looked at each other and smiled

“We’d love to,” they said in unison. 

Each of them took my arm and we walked off together. We left the castle and both of them had big smiles on their face. I only hoped that Angel didn’t seem me. For whatever reason, she doesn’t believe that I would stay with her.

When we got to the café, I led the twins to a table and went to get the coffee and some pastries. Although I love Chef Celery Stalk’s deserts, there was nothing that beats this café’s croissants.

“Alright,” I said as I sat down handing the twins a pastry. “Which one of you wants to tell your stories?”

“Do you mind?” Ruby said.

“You tell it so much better” Sapphire said.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“First off, we chose not to know which one of us was born first. As far as we’re concerned, we were born at the same time. We’ve been best friends for our entire lives. There was even one pony how thought my last name was ‘andsapphire’. And yes, we can spend time apart. We just don’t like to. We were hoping that one day that we would meet a pony that could love us equally. When we heard that you grew up with Princess Cadence and we were hoping that you were the pony we’ve been looking for? What do you say? Is there enough room in your heart for two?”

“I don’t understand why not. If I could love one of you I don’t understand why I couldn’t love the other one.”

“That’s amazing,” Sapphire said. “Can I ask you something now? What’s it like being a prince? Do the ponies treat you different? Like give you free coffee or something.”

“Cadence and I don’t want others to treat us different. In fact, I prefer if ponies call me Golden instead of prince Golden. They still, however, treat us a bit different. First off, every mare and colt at our school are constantly trying to get our attention.”

We talked for a while longer, and a while became hours. Somehow it was already time for us to head back to the castle and get ready for dinner. On the way back, Philomena dropped by another note, a piece of paper, and a quill. I told the twins go ahead of me as I read the note and Philomena ate some treats from my hand.

I’m coming by tonight. I think we found something.
XOXO
Angel

I simply wrote back “Can’t wait” and Philomena took off. I walked back to the castle and showered. Vyxsin was waiting for me outside, but she was distracted trying to tell Starney to back off. I was able to sneak back to my room without her chasing me, but I had a feeling that she would find her way to my room, without getting dressed.

To my surprise, I was able to get to my room, put my clothes on, and get to the dinner without Vyxsin coming on to me. Again, Cadence and I got a table to ourselves and were able to just talk to each other.

“How was your day?” I asked

“It was nice. I took Center Stage to see Manespray and he was a complete gentlecolt. Then we went to that new sandwich shop near the theater and he offered to pay. And then there’s Gawain…” Cadence started to bite her lower lip, like she did last night. I had to shake to get her back this time. “Sorry. Anyway, how was your day?”

“It was nice actually. I took the twins to the café and we just sat there and talked.”

“You are the only pony that can wow a girl just by taking them to get a cup of coffee.”

“And then Philomena gave me this.” I handed Cadence the note and she smiled.

“There’s a chance?”

“Maybe. We have to wait and see, but I need a favor from you.” I looked around to make sure that no pony could hear us. “You have to promise that you won’t tell anypony about this.”

“How bad could it be?”

“You have to promise me. You can’t say a word to Octavia, Shining, or anypony and especially not Angel.”

“Alright, I promise.”

“Vyxsin has been coming onto me.”

“And Starney has been coming onto me, what’s the problem?”

“No, she came into my room last night wearing nothing but her bra and panties. She wants me.”

“Oh. Yeah that’s bad.”

“So, I need you to make sure that she doesn’t show up tonight. Angel would freak out if she saw Vyxsin wearing a skimpy outfit, or worse.”

“Anything to make sure that I stay away from…You-Know-Who.”

“Who?”

“I can’t even say his name without biting my lip. I just need to make sure that he stays as far away from me as possible.”

Desert that night was Angel’s favorite, so I decided to sneak it out of the room and give it to Angel when she showed up.

When dinner ended, I tried to walk back to my room without making it look like I was in a hurry. I could hear Vyxsin trying to keep up with me, but Cadence got to her and offered to do makeovers with her. I’m just happy that she accepted.

I waited in my room from her to come. It took a while and I was about to give up, but she eventually made it.

“Sorry, I’m late. Princess Celestia put more guards around the castle. I had to try and sneak by them.” Angel said. She was still outside my room flapping her wings.

“I’m just glad that you’re here.” I said as I leaned out my window to hug her. She stopped flapping her wings and relied on me to hold her up. I pulled her into my room and hugged her harder.

“I knew you would catch me,” she said after she kissed me.

“I got you something.” I gave her Chef Clearly Stalk’s torte. She hugged me again and we shared it while we talked.

“So, what did you find out?”

“It turns out that the parents or the guardians of the prince or princess can opt to not go through this. All you have to do is convince Princess Celestia that you don’t want to do this and she can end it.”

“Hang on, Princess Celestia has been giving us letters and I felt something wrong with the first one.”

I took the note out of the drawer. I tried every spell that I knew, but I wasn’t sure what I was trying to do. I don’t know what spell I used, but suddenly the words on the page started to rearrange themselves. Some of the letters morphed and other just disappeared.

“What does it say?” Angel asked me.

“You two are smart. I know you’ll figure a way out of this. Like I did. Do you know what this means?”

“What?”

“It means that she doesn’t want this for us either. My mom is on our side.”

“So, then why is she doing this?”

“She doesn’t want to break tradition. She went through all of this and found a way out of this.

“What did she do?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know how she could find a way out of this. You guys have to keep doing research.”

There was suddenly a knock at my door.

“Prince Golden!” Vyxsin said on the other side of the door. “I need to speak to you.”

“Who’s that?”

“It’s just one of the mares. Please don’t get mad.”

“Why would I get mad?”

“What do you need?” I yelled without opening the door.

“We need to talk in private.”

“Sorry, Golden,” Cadence said.

“Open this door, right now.”

“Go ahead Golden. You said that I was hotter than any of the other mares here. I want to see how hot.”

I closed my eyes as tight as possible and opened the door. I don’t know what I was expecting. My first thought was that the two mares would tear each other apart. I then thought that maybe that they could end up being friends. I then thought that would be a horrible idea.

“Who is this bitch?” Vyxsin said.

“Excuse me? I’m not the one wearing something that barley covers my boobs.”

“Really, because Prince Golden seems to like it.”

“What?”

“He already fucked me. Several times.”

There was a moment of silence between all of us. I was shocked that she would even say something like that. I looked over at Angel who was on the verge of tears. 

“Angel,” I said as I walked over to comfort her, “I never slept with her. She’s making it up.”

“I know you, Golden. I know that you would never even possibly consider maybe thinking about sleeping with scum like this.”

“Scum? That’s what you think of your ex-coltfriend’s new lover?”

“Shut up, Vyxsin!”

“Yeah that’s it, shout my name like you did last night.”

“Don’t listen to her, Angel. She’s just trying to get into you head.”

“Just like how his head got into me.”

“Vyxsin, please stop,” Cadence said.

“Angel, you have to listen to me and not her. I love you more than I could ever love anypony here. There is nothing that anypony could do to change that.”

“Now where have I heard that before? Oh, right, he said that to me the first time.”

In an instant, any emotion that Angel had was replaced with anger. I saw her eyes fill with range and all of it directed towards one pony: Vyxsin. She pushed by me and started to make her way towards Vyxsin. I wasn’t sure what she was going to do when she reached her, but I knew that she was going to regret it. Without thinking, I ran towards Vyxsin, hugged her as tight as I could, and teleported us to her room.

“What just happened?” She asked

“I saved you from Angel.”

“Because you love me?”

“Because I didn’t want her doing anything she would regret. Now, I’m going back to my room for damage control. Don’t follow me. Just go to bed and leave me alone.” I tuned and tried the door, but it was locked. I turned around to ask for the key, but when I did Vyxsin immediately rubbed something on my horn. I’m not sure what it was, but it felt like mane gel.

“There, now you’re trapped here until the morning.”

“What do you mean? What did you do to me?”

“That gel was something that I stole from the zebra. It stops a unicorn from using magic until I decide. As for this key…” Vyxsin dangled the key in front of my face and then threw it out the window.

“Why would you…”

“Because now we’re alone. And now, you can have your way with me. And I am game for anything.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because I want you. I want you more than any other pony in the world. Do you remember little Lavender when you were seven?”

I thought back all those years ago, back when we sat at the foal table. There was a little filly that came to one dinner named Lavender. I don’t remember much about that night, but I remember that we became friends. Her family moved away from Canterlot the next week, but we wrote to each other. One day, the letters stopped. I tried to get her to write back to me, but she never did.

“You’re Lavender?”

“Tulip, my puppy, is doing great by the way.”

“Why did you stop writing?”

“Because something happened. I grew up. My parents told me about the bird and the bees. They told me how it’s something that only two ponies do when they truly love each other. How your energy and your partners energy become one. And when it’s over, you’ll never want to be with anypony else. That’s when I realized that’s what I wanted to be with you, but I was afraid that you would just reject me. That’s when I came up with Vyxsin, a mare who wasn’t afraid, I guess I went a little too far. I’m sorry, Prince Golden I’ll…”

What I did next, I’m not proud of. I thought about what she said and wondered why I still wrote to her. I cared intensely for her. I truly wanted to know about every little thing about her day. To be honest, she was my first crush. Before I met Angel, I imagined what she looked like and us just lying in the grass, holding hands, and watching the clouds. Hearing her say that brought back all those feelings that I thought were gone. That’s why I kissed her.

“I’m sorry,” I said when we stopped. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. Can you please let me go?”

“Yeah. You can use magic again.”

I suddenly felt a surge of power in my horn and then I teleported into the hallway. I sat down and thought about what I just did and how I was going to explain myself.

> Chapter 17: Decision
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don’t know how long I was sitting in the hallway. I can’t tell you what I was thinking, because I wasn’t. I just sat there, replaying everything in my head. There was a part of me that wanted to knock on Lavender’s door and spend the night with her, like I did with Angel. Then I thought about Angel. In a second I cheated on her with some girl that I had a crush on when I was nine.

I eventually decided to go back to my room and just face the music. I saw it going one of two ways. Either she yells at me and I never see her again or she asks me if it meant anything and I would say no and we find a way to move on. I’m not really sure which one I wanted, but I deserved the first one.

I got back to my room, took in a deep breath, and opened my door. I was a bit relieved to see that no pony was in my room. I walked over to my desk and saw another note.

Golden,
Thank you for stopping me. I don’t know what I was going to do, but I’m glad that you made sure that I didn’t hurt anypony. Cadence and I went to go look for you, but we don’t think that we’re going to find you. Tell Vyxsin I’m sorry and would like to try to put this night past us.
I Love You
XOXO
Angel

I didn’t read that last part. I just wanted this day to be over, so I tried to go to bed. Despite everything that happened tonight, I fell asleep easily. I had a dream about last summer. The arrival, the balcony, my birthday, Cadence’s birthday, but I was with Lavender instead of Angel. 

The next morning I awoke to Celestia petting my head and softly singing.

“Mom?”

“Shhh. It’s alright.”

“That’s my lullaby. You haven’t sung that in years.”

“I know, but I used to sing this to you when you felt lost. Something told me that you need it.”

“Why are you doing this to us?” I said as I sat up.

“Because it’s something that we have to do. I had to do it when I was your age, and it’s something that your children will have to do, but I found a way out. I was hoping that you and Cadence would have figured a way out so you could be with who you want.”

“Well I did something last night that I’m not proud of. Do you remember Lavender?”

“Of course. You wouldn’t stop talking about her. That’s why I invited her, just in case you had to choose somepony I wanted to give you somepony you already had a crush on.”

“I kissed her last night.”

“Did you tell Angel?”

“I haven’t seen her.”

“You have to tell her as soon as possible. She deserves to know.”

“I know. I just feel bad.”

“I know, and it’s going to hurt for a while, but you have to suffer through it. Unfortunately, you made a mistake and you have to play the price.”

“Thanks mom.”

“Sure, sweetie.” She got up and started to walk towards the door. “I almost forgot. You have to make your decision on Friday.”

“That’s in two days. Why?”

“I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“Surprise?”

“Love you,” she said as she left my room. I had to admit, it was a little funny.

I got dressed for the day and was about to go to breakfast when something crossed my mind. What would Cadence think? She was with us and took Angel to find me. She will try her hardest to make me talk and I might cave.

I opened my door and found Vyxsin or Lavender about to knock on my door. She was wearing something more concretive. Nothing was showing off or sticking out. In fact one was drawn towards her face. I didn’t notice it until now, but she looks beautiful without make-up.

“Hi, Vyx-Lavender. What are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about last night. I crossed the line and I defiantly said and did some things that I’m not proud of. I promise, Vyxsin is gone. Can we please just please put last night behind us.”

“I don’t know if we want to put everything behind us.” She started to blush, and I just realized what I said.

“Do you mean it?”

“Lavender, I loved writing to you. Out of everypony that sat at that table, you were my favorite, but I never understood why. When you stopped writing to me, it broke my heart. I tried to get you to write back to me and was crushed when I didn’t get anything back.”

“It was because I wanted to hear you. I wanted to be there when you asked about my day. I wanted you to comfort me the second I told you what was wrong.”

“But I can’t now. I was sad and one day I decided that I can’t be sad anymore. A few months later, I met Angel and now we’re together. I’m sorry, Lavender. I’m with Angel,” I said as I walked past her.

“Do you love her?” I stopped and thought about it.

“I’ll see you around.”

I continued to walk down the hallway, thinking about what Cadence would say. I knew that she would tear me apart. If not her, than Angel will.

“Having some problems?” Somepony said behind me. I turned around to see Gildheart.

“You don’t know that half of it,” I said

“Try me. And don’t give me some BS about how you can’t decide which girl to choose, because I think you’ve already made your decision.”

“It’s not that. I have, or had, a marefriend that I thought I loved. I was determined to find a way out of this whole thing because I wanted to be with her. But last night I found out that Vyxsin’s real name is Lavender and she was my first crush. I kissed her last night.”

“And you don’t know what to do now.”

“Any advice?”

“Well, that depends. How much did you like Vyxsin or Lavender or whatever she calls herself? It was apparently strong enough for you to kiss her, but that could have just been some pent up emotions or did you just need closure. Then you have to decide which on you have a stronger attraction to. Either way, you owe your marefriend the truth.”

“Wow, you are pretty insightful for a griffon. No offence.”

“None taken. If a griffon doesn’t devote themselves to strength or aggression, than they focus more on their intellect or the arts. Don’t get me wrong, I can still fight like any other griffon. I just don’t get as angry as easily.”

I was interested in how different Gildheart is. There’s a griffon at my school and he’s known for his anger. We are also taught in Griffon History that griffons have a legendary rage and have started most wars in both griffon and pony history. I decided to pick his surprisingly large brain. Without realizing it, we missed breakfast. Linebacker came by and offered to play Griffon Hoofball. Gildheart decided to go play, but I needed a way to clear my head.

I first thought about doing some laps in the pool. I wondered why I didn’t go swimming more and then I saw The Great Gallopsby and remembered that I thought I was going to be shot. I now realize how ridiculous that was.

I walked out to find Starlight, the twins, and Starney sunbathing. I jumped in, trying to make sure not to get them wet, and started swim back a forth. I lost track of how many I did and just went until I was tired.

“Loving the view, wubby,” Starlight said

“So are we,” The twins said at the same time.

“Seriously, dude. Can you just…okay?” Starney said, but I have no idea what he meant.

“I’m going to get some drinks. Prince Golden can you help me?” Sapphire said.

“Sure.” I dried off and we walked into the kitchen.

“Can you please do me a favor, prince?”

“Please, just call me Golden. I don’t like to think that I’m better than anypony else. Plus, I’ve had some bad experiences with somepony who insists that others call him prince.”

“Can you please do me a favor, Golden?”

“What do you need?”

“Ruby isn’t feeling that, how do I put this, sexy. The only advances she’s gotten are from Starney and Snowy, but they’ve been hitting on everypony.”

“Have they hooked up at all?”

“No, and their lines don’t work either. Anyway, can you just flirt with her a bit? Make her feel like she’s the only pony in the world.”

“I know just what to do.”

We walked back to the pool side and brought the others their drinks. Starney was still trying his awful lines on Ruby and Starlight.

“Ruby,” I said, “I want to show you something I know you’ll love.”

“Okay. Come on, Sapphire.”

“I think I’m going to stay here. I don’t want Starlight to be here alone with Starney. Who know what that girl would do alone with that pony.”

“Are you sure?”

“OMG, I didn’t know a pony could have a third leg,” Starlight said.

“I’m sure.”

Ruby and I walked off, but I wasn’t sure where we were going to go. I thought about what Sapphire was talking about. She wanted me to make Ruby feel like she was the only pony in the world. There was only one place that I could think of.

Just like everypony before her, Ruby is in awe of the view. Even in the day, the view from Canterlot Tower was beautiful.

“This…is…amazing!” She said as she ran towards the edge. I thought about the first time I took Angel there. She too ran towards the edge and was in awe. I was thankful that the tower was too high for an average pegasus to just fly up.

“I know. I like to come up here sometimes and just look out into the city and think of how lucky I am.”

“Does anypony else get to see this view.”

“Just members of the royal family and their guests.”

“I guess that means that I’m something special. Have you ever taken her up here? You know, Angel.”

“We had our first kiss here.”

“Oh. Do you still love her?”

“Your highness,” one of the guards said, “Princess Celestia has asked for you. I have been sent here to escort you personally. The miss may stay up here if she like.”

I didn’t say anything else to Ruby. I just left. If I had the time, I don’t know how I would have answered that question. Angel and I have put so much time and effort into our relationship. We’ve said ‘I love you’ a hundred times each. We’ve survived Blueblood, long distance, even her insecurity. She’s perfect in every way, but all it takes is one other mare and suddenly all of that is gone. Suddenly Angel is replaced by a pony I knew years ago. Suddenly I want to throw the past year out the window.

Celestia didn’t really want to see us. She had me and Cadence meet with a jeweler to have the rings made.

“What happened last night?” Cadence asked me.

“Nothing.”

“You’re hiding something. You didn’t, did you?”

“No! I didn’t sleep with her. I took her to her room, she tried to keep me there, but I found a way out.”

“So why did it take you half an hour to get back to your room?”

“Because I went up to the balcony to think.”

“Think about what?”

“Look Cadence, it was an eventful night and I honestly want to put it behind me. Some things were said, feelings got hurt, ponies got angry. Can we please leave it at that?”

“Alright, fine. So, what are we going to do to convince Auntie Celestia that we shouldn’t be doing this?”

“I don’t know. She seems like she’s on our side, but doesn’t want to call this whole thing off. What’s up with that?”

“I know. It’s not like her to say one thing and then do the complete opposite. She’s always been straight forward with us.”

“She said that she found a way out. Maybe we’re approaching this the wrong way.”

“I got it!” She shouted and then ran out of the room. I wasn’t sure what she was talking about or what she had planned. And then I remembered that I had to tell Angel about last night. It was something I was dreading to do, but it had to be done. I walked back to my room, wrote her a note asking her to come here tonight, and sent Philomena on her way with a treat.

I walked back to the balcony to see if Ruby was still there. She had left and I could see her back at the pool. I decided to stay up there for a while, just biding my time. I eventually went back to my room to get ready for dinner. I thought I heard the fanfare on my way down, but I didn’t see any carriages fly into Canterlot.

Cadence and I got our own table again, but this time there was an extra table with only one chair. The other ponies made it here before Cadence and I started to wonder where she was. She finally ran into the room with a big smile on her face.

“I did it, Golden. I figured out a way out of this whole thing.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Remember how we said that they wanted to be here?”

“Yeah…”

“What if we change that?”

“How?”

“Mares and Gentlecolts,” Cadence said as she stood up, “Prince Golden Shield and I love our families very much. We have decided that if wanted to marry us, you should love our families as much as we do. For that reason I would like you to join me in welcoming, my twin brother, his majesty, the one and only, Prince Blueblood.”

The doors flung open and there he was wearing a tacky white suit that matched his fur color. The room filled with applause and I pulled Cadence back to her chair.

“What are you thinking?” I whispered to her.

“He’s the perfect pony to get these ponies out of here. The mares will hate him because he’s always either hitting on them or he’ll be rude to them. The colts will hate him because what colt doesn’t hate him. They’ll be leaving by the morning.”

“Yeah, but its Blueblood.”

“Suck it up. It’s only for a day and a half.”

“Cadie,” Blueblood said, “I’m glad to see that you’re looking good. As for you prince, I hope you’re well.”

“Hey, you didn’t call me a porter. Thank you Prince Blueblood.”

“Well, I need something out of you. What’s the story of bust over there?” He pointed to Lavender who was sitting with Emerald Chamber, Stardust, Milia, and Gildheart. Those four have started to become close friends and now that Vyxsin has been replaced.

“Don’t even try, Bluey. She wants Golden.”

“We’ll see about that.”

He took his seat at the table, trying to make eye contact with Lavender. I think she noticed and tried her best not to look at him.

“Are you insane?”

“No we’re desperate. After tomorrow, none of them will be here.”

“Yeah, but he thinks I stole Angel from him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t plotting something right now.”

“Please, it’s Bluey. We both know that he isn’t smart enough to even come up with a complex thought.”

“Alright, but I want him gone as soon as the others leave.”

We didn’t really talk that much that night. We just ate our dinners and deserts and went to our rooms.

“Hey,” Lavender said as I was about to go into my room, “I’ve been trying to find you all day.”

“Please just leave me alone Lavender. I just want to make it to Friday and pretend like none of this ever happened.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes I do. Last night was a complete mistake. I just have to pay the consequences and just get on with my life.”

“Last night wasn’t a mistake. I know it wasn’t and you know it wasn’t.”

“Yes it was. I might have lost the trust of my best friend, who is an expert in love. I defiantly lost Angel’s trust. She’s already insecure and thinks that I’ll leave her for some other pony and now might have lost her all together. And who knows how my other friends will react when they find out. So tell me how it wasn’t a mistake.”

“Because now you have me. I know it wasn’t a mistake because you kissed me as passionately as you could. In an instant, we became one and all of our hopes, passions, fears, anxieties, everything that made us tick. In that one instant we became one and it was beautiful. Everything I wanted from you through sex, I got in one kiss. You love me, don’t you?”

“Please go to bed.”

“Fine. But you know I’m right.” She walked off and I thought I was alone.

“Trouble in paradise?” Blueblood said.

“Leave me alone, Blueblood.”

“Prince Blueblood! What’s the deal with you and her?”

“What do you care?”

“Because if she’s with you, than that means Angel is free. If not, that means I’m getting my swag on.” I got angry and pinned him against the wall across from my room.

“Listen, Blueblood .You are never going to get with Angel. She never loved you and she never will. Even if she was drunk and desperate, she would rather go home alone than with you. You’re not going to touch Lavender. If you do, then I’m going to saw off your horn and shove it in places you don’t want to know.”

“Why do you care so much for these ponies? I could understand if you were attracted to one of them, but that would leave the other one out. So, which one is it?”

I didn’t want to respond. I let him go and went into my room.

“What took you so long?” Angel asked. I had completely forgotten that she was coming. I was just lucky enough that she was sitting on the windowsill and couldn’t hear me through the walls.

“I had to do something.”

“I missed you.” She walked over to me, tossed her arms around my neck, and kissed me. “Did you ever tell Vyxsin that I was sorry?”

“She knows. But there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”

At first I didn’t know how to say it. At first I thought about just blurting it out and get ready for her to slap me. I thought of a better plan. I ease her into the topic, remind her that I love her and that she’s the only pony for me. We might go through a rough patch, but I know our love will be strong enough.

“I kissed Vyxsin.”

So much for my plan. Next I think I’m going to leap off the tower balcony because I make terrible decisions.

“What?” She said after letting what I said process in her mind.

“Last night, I took Vyxsin back to her room. She trapped my in there and talked for a little bit and it turns out that her real name is Lavender. I used to write to her and she was my first real crush. So in the heat of the moment, I kissed her.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“I’m so sorry, Angel.”

“Tell me it didn’t mean anything.”

“What?”

“If you tell me it didn’t mean anything and I believe you, than I can get past it. I can just write it off as a moment of weakness or you trying to get out of a situation. Just please tell me that it didn’t mean anything.”

“I can’t…” I said after a few seconds of silence. Angel burred her head in her hands and started to cry.

“I’m so sorry, Angel. I didn’t mean to hurt you, you know that,” I said as I teared up myself.

“I know, and I should be thankful,” she said through her tears. “Most colts wouldn’t have done what you did. They would have cheated, felt nothing about it, and been on their way. At least you told me instead of me finding out. But I’m still hurt.”

“I know and I’m so sorry.”

We spent some time just crying and hugging each other. It finally came to a point where we stopped, either because we had nothing to cry about anymore or we just couldn’t. We ended up just sitting on my bed starring off to nothing.

“So, that now?” I asked

“I don’t know,” She said with a somber tone. “Any ideas?”

“No.”

“Why don’t we talk about what’s next for us.”

“Okay.”

“Do you love her? Vyxsin or Lavender?”

“No. I mean I don’t think so.”

“It’s either a no or a yes.”

“I feel something for her, but not the same way I felt about you.”

“Felt? So you don’t love me anymore?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“So you do still love me?”

“I didn’t say that. I’m just confused.”

“What are you confused about?”

“Everything. I just feel lost and I have no idea what I’m doing any more. I don’t know why my mom is doing this. I don’t know how my friends will react when they find out what happened. Worst of all, I don’t know what’s going to happen with us.”

“Good, I thought I was the only one.”

“We have to figure out what’s we’re going to do.”

“I know, but I don’t want to.”

“Neither do I.”

“What if we say that we’re taking a break from each other?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s like an unofficial break up. We can be with other ponies and if we feel like we want to get back together, than we can.”

“I don’t know. Doesn’t that mean that we’re in a grey area?”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to lose you forever. I still feel something for you, but I don’t think we can be together right now. Look it’s all we got. And besides, if we decide that we don’t want to be together later on, than we can break up for real.”

“Okay. I’m fine with that.”

“One last one for the road.”

We kissed one more time before she left. I didn’t really want to be alone, but here I am. I couldn’t believe what just happened. I wanted to go to sleep and get this day over with. I tried to go to sleep for a while. It took me at least half an hour to get to sleep.

I woke up the next day feeling like what happened with Angel was a dream. I know I can’t be thinking about her, at least not right now. I have to think about what was going to happen tomorrow. And then I realized that Blueblood was still here and Cadence was probably going to shove him down their throats.

I still got ready for the day and walked to breakfast. When I entered the room, some of the other ponies were already there chattering away. They turned to me when they saw me enter.

“Prince,” Star Dancer said, “You have to do something about Prince Blueblood. He’s messing up my aura and he brings a negative vibe to this whole place.”

“He told me that I sucked and shouldn’t be allowed to even talk.” Jazz Bass said.

“What’s wrong with those two?” I said when I noticed Emerald and Stardust looking depressed.

“He spoiled the new Doctor Whooves and Daring Do books for them.” Masquerade said.

“Fuck off you white shit!” Night Shade yelled from the hall way. She busted into the room and took a seat. “I swear to god, if any one of you even says one fucking word to me, then I’ll have your fucking head. And if that prick thanks he can get away with this than I’m going to shove my hoof so far up his ass that it’s going to come out of his mouth and I’ll make him taste his own shit.”

“Okay,” I said, “I know that Blueblood is hard to deal with, but you just have to put up with it for one more day. Trust me, the best way to deal with him is to avoid him or just completely ignore him. Besides I have an idea that will keep him occupied all day.”

We waited a bit longer for the right pony to walk through the door. I never thought it would happen, but I was glad to see Chatter Box walk into the room.

“Chatter Box,” I said the second I saw her, “Before you say anything, I have something to tell you. Prince Blueblood said that he wants to know everything about you. If you hurry you might be able to catch him before so you can start early.”

A big smile came across her face. She ran out of the room and went to look for Blueblood. Everypony started to cheer when they realized what I was doing. I even think I saw Night Shade smile just a little bit. Everypony was happy that it started to work as we could vaguely hear Chatter Box started to tell her life story. I felt satisfied and a little proud. Cadence came into the room when the celebration started to die down.

“Can I talk to you, in private” Cadence said to me. We walked out of the room and into the main foyer.

“What’s up?”

“First off.” Cadence smacked me without any warning. “How could you do that? How could you have kissed Vyxsin with your marefriend just around the corner?”

“Ow. How did you find out?”

“Angel came to me last night.”

“I didn’t kiss Vyxsin. I kissed Lavender.”

“You mean that mare you had a crush on when you were seven?”

“Yeah. She created this persona because she believed that if we had sex, I had to marry her. The only problem was that Lavender isn’t that brave, but Vyxsin was. She promised me that Vyxsin’s gone now and she’s going to try and make amends for everything she did.”

“She left that part out. Are you going to be okay?”

“I think so.”

“Well if you need anything, than I’m here.” We hugged and went back to have breakfast. She was a little disappointed that Chatter Box got to Blueblood. The best part about my plan is that even if he yells at her, she’ll start talking about how yelling works or will tell a story about being yelled at.

The day didn’t go the way Cadence had planned because of my interference, but it was still a nice day. I started off by learning T’ai Chi with Star Dancer. Jazz Bass played a free concert for us and things got interesting when I invited Octavia over to play her cello. I spent some time talking to Milia, but that was just so I could hear her rhyming. I went to the café one more time with the twins just to get a coffee, but we really did enjoy ourselves. After dinner, we were treated to a movie night. It was one of mine and Cadence’s favorites. A great story about a mentally challenged colt who turns out to be the key points in some historical events. 

I slept pretty easily that night, despite knowing what was going to happen the next day. I tried not to think about it.

I was awoken by Cadence the next day who had to shake me awake.

“Come on, Golden. We have to get ready for today.”

“It has to be 6 in the morning.”

“I know, but the ceremony is at noon and it take four hours to get ready and Auntie Celestia said that there’s a final chance party or something right before it. You have to get up.”

“Fine,” I said as I got up.

“There’s a Velvet Gown original over there. Auntie Celestia wants you to wear it.”

I didn’t look at the outfit. I just walked past Cadence to take a shower. I did look at it when I got back and Velvet Gown failed to disappoint. At first glance it looked like just a normal suit, but as I brought it to the sunlight, a few sewn-in gems started to change colors. The gems continued to change colors as they move from light to light. I spent some time playing with them before I got dressed. A little while after I got dressed, the castle’s mane dressers came in to make sure everything was perfect. By the time I was finished, it was ten and I had to go to that “Last Chance” party.

I knocked on Cadence’s door so we could walk in together. Cadence looked stunning. Her dress a light blue and had gems sewn in it, but her’s didn’t change with the light. Instead, her’s started to shine brighter as the dress moved. Her mane and make-up was done in a traditional Canterlot style, but it still had something that screamed Cadence. 

“Wow.”

“I know. Velvet Gown outdid herself this time. Both of us look amazing.”

She grabbed my arm and we walked into the royal dinning room. When we entered, all the other ponies cheered. Most of them were wearing nice outfits, the only exception was Night Shade who wearing torn up jeans and an old T-shirt. We started to socialize a bit, but we never left each other.

“Cheers mates,” Gawain said as he handed us some punch.

“Thank you, Gawain,” Cadence said, but I noticed something different about her.

“Hold on,” I said before she was able to take a drink. “Say his name.”

“Gawain.” There it is again.

“One more time.”

“Why do you want me to say Gawain’s name so many times? I can say his name all day. Gawain, Gawain, Gawain.”

“Cadence, you’re not biting your lip.” She froze when she realized what happened. I took her cup of punch and took in a big whiff. “Milia, come over her and smell this.”

“This smells like a love potion that was stolen from my room.
Gawain took it so he can become the Princess’s groom.”

“You’ve been sneaking it into Cadences drinks all week.”

“This would have been the last drink
One more and the Princess would start to think
That she loves him and would have given him the ring
For her heart would have truly sing.”

“Fine, you caught me. I’ve been slipping a potion to Mi…”

“Don’t you dare finish that name! My name is Cadence, Princess Cadence to you.”

“Or else what? Mi Amora…”

“Guards!” Cadence shouted. They came into the room and held back Gawain. “I want this colt arrested for poisoning a princess.”

“What I did no such thing.”

“I don’t know. You admitted to slipping something into her drinks,” I said.

“It was a love potion that I stole from the zebra.”

“Why would I bring a love potion?
Such a crazy motion.”

“And now you just admitted to larceny, something that will defiantly result in jail time,” Cadence said with a smile. Gawain was dragged away. Cadence dropped the charges later that day, as she was just glad to get rid of him.

“Well that was interesting,” Masquerade said. “About our deal, Cadence.”

“I have to admit that you are a fun pony to be around and you are going to make somepony happy, but that pony isn’t me. I’m sorry, but with Shining in the picture, I can’t see us together. I hope we can still be friends.”

“Don’t worry, Cadence. We made a deal. No harm, no foul. I hope to see you two at my next party.” He slipped on his mask and walked off.

“This is going better than I thought. From my count, I’m only breaking three hearts. It’s either going to be Linebacker, Monologue, Starney, or Jazz. Maybe I can find a way to get those four to turn me down.”

“You still have to choose one don’t you?”

“I did a little more research. We can be turned down, and if all of them say ‘no’, than we’re free. I just need to let Blueblood work his awful magic. What about you? What’s your plan?”

“I’m thinking about just going through with it.”

“What? You and Angel are just going through a break not a full on break up.”

“I know, but what if we do, I wouldn’t have to get married for two more years. A lot can happen in two years.”

“I think you can make it another two years.”

“I cheated on her after one.”

“It was just a kiss.”

“It was more than that. I felt a burning passion from her, like she knew that we needed each other. The only thing is, I don’t know if we do. I felt something that night and it wasn’t something you feel every day.”

“So, you’re going with Lavender?”

“I don’t know. I took a liking to the twins. It was nice to get to know them, and it wasn’t all about sex or becoming princesses or not being single. They just wanted to find somepony that could love them both.”

“Come on, Golden. You’ve lived with me long enough to know that love is between two ponies. You have to give all of your devotion towards that one pony.”

“I know, but they’re different, I mean the same. They’re so similar that they’re like the same pony. It would be like loving the same pony twice.”

“I guess.”

“Then there’s Star Darling. She’s a lot of what I want in a mare. Best of all, she can make me smile just by talking to me.”

“So, I can make you do that.”

“It’s not just that. She can make me smile just by talking.”

“So, your decision is between the old flame, the one brain in two bodies, and the one that makes you smile.”

“Any advice?”

“Yeah, stay with Angel.”

“Seriously, Cadence. I don’t know what I’m doing and I really need my best friend.”

“Follow your heart, Golden. It knows best.”

“Thanks.” We talked a bit more and waited to be called to make our decision. When we were, Cadence and I were separated with the others. We were brought into the room first. There were ponies on either end of the room, chattering away. The applauded us when we entered. I looked forward to see Celestia standing in front of two other alicorns. One, the colt, was as black as the night with a few shimmering white spots that looked like stars. The other, a mare, was white. Her mane was strange. It was like a sunset happening, starting out orange towards her head and getting darker the further down it went

Cadence and I walked down the aisle to where Celestia was standing. She smiled at us, but it looked a little forced.

“Mother, father. This is my son. Golden Shield.”

“Would you look at that,” The colt said, “We have a grandchild.”

“Celestia, why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

“You were traveling the world, mother. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Feel free to disturb us when you have news like this.”

“You should have said something, Celestia. We came here with a gift Cadence, but not one for him. Who’s the father?”

“I adopted him. He was lost in the Everfree Forrest. I looked for some sort of family, but when no pony came forward, I decided to take him in.”

The doors suddenly flung open the others came in two straight lines, one for mares one for colts. Celestia quickly turned me and Cadence around and put us on either side of her. Flashes started to go off in the crowd as newspaper photographers took their pictures. Some ponies were chattering about the different ponies that were brought in. I overheard some of the conversations. Most of them were about who they liked or didn’t like. I thought that it was weird, seeing as how they are just judging by looks and knew about them.

“Ladies and Gentlecolt,” Princes Celestia said, “We are gathered here to witness a grand tradition. For the past week, these…nineteen ponies have been trying to win the hearts. Unfortunately, most of these ponies will go home broken hearted, but two lucky ponies will be married in two years. The rings please.”

Another pony came through the door holding a pillow with two ring boxes. He was walking slowly, which was apparently a tradition.

“Only nine for Cadence?” Celestia’s mom said, “Looks like you’re raising her to be just like you.”

“I don’t know what happened to him, mother. There were ten when the week started.”

“She scared him off, like you did to, what was it, seven of them?”

“Mother.”

“Quiet dear.”

The rings finally got to us. Cadence and I took a box and looked at each other. There was a bit of fear in her eyes and wasn’t sure what she was going to do.

“Which one of you wants to go first?” Celestia asked. I looked at Cadence. She was terrified and she obviously didn’t want to go through with any of this.

“I’ll go.” I said.

I took in a big gulp and started to walk towards the mares. I first walked past Night Shade. Although she wasn’t smiling, I could tell that she was happy that I kept walking. So was Milia, but she gave me a nod of approval. Chatter Box was didn’t seem that upset that I didn’t stop in front of her. Star Dancer and Starlight were the first that were visibly upset. Emerald was relieved when I walked by her and I figured out why when she made eye contact with Stardust and smiled. 

I stood in between the four ponies that were left. I mouthed sorry and walked towards my decision.

“Wait!” Celestia said before I could even take a step.

“Celestia! What are you doing?”

“Making sure that I don’t end up like you, Mother. You made me do this and something drastic happened. Now I fear that I have done the same with my son. The difference between us is that I know when I’ve gone too far. Now I have to do damage control with my son, something you never did for your daughters.”

“It’s how I met your father and do you see how much we love each other. This is a tradition.”

“And now I’m ending it.” She rushed over to me and hugged me. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Thank you,” I said as I hugged her back.

“I’m sorry everypony, but this is over. Should either Cadence or Golden Shield wish to pursue you, than they will seek you out when they are ready. As for now, they are not making a commitment this young.”

“You cannot do this, Celestia.”

“Yes I can, mother. You are no longer in charge.”

“I am still your mother.”

“And I’m his. I decided what’s best for him. I’ve decided that I shouldn’t be doing this. I’m just sorry that I didn’t realize that sooner.” Celestia didn’t say another word. She just rushed me outside and into the Foyer. 

“I’m so sorry,” She said as she hugged me again. “I should have never done this to either you or Cadence. I hope that I haven’t done anything.”

“Its fine,” I said as I hugged her back.

“Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”

“No. Angel and I are going through some problems, but it’s going to be okay.”

“I hope so, I really do.”

We hugged a little longer. Some of the ponies in the room made their way out of the castle, but we just stayed there hugging. Cadence eventually joined us. She told us that the ponies went back to their rooms to pack and she called carriages for each of them. I got a chance to talk to my grandfather. We got along pretty well and he gave me a way to contact him any time I needed to.

After some time, I made my way to the landing area in hopes of catching some of the mares. Most of them left already, but there was a few still there. The first ponies I noticed were the twins, who were just about to take off.

“Hey,” I shouted to them, “I just wanted to say, goodbye and I hope that we meet again.”

“You can be honest with us,” Ruby said.

“You were going to choose us, right?” Sapphire said. 

“I think I’m going to keep that secret to myself. What I will say, is that you may see me when I’m ready.”

They smiled and hugged me both, got in their carriage, and flew off.

“Well that was interesting,” Star Darling said.

“So is my life. Thank you for coming.”

“I’m game anytime you want to invite me back. Maybe I’ll just stay next time. That is if you want me to.”

“You know that you’re everything I want in a mare right?”

“I’ll take that as a ‘I’ll see you in two years’”

She kissed me on the cheek and got in her own carriage. I turned around thinking that she was the last one, but then I saw Lavender struggling with her bag. I ran to help her and she smiled at me.

“Thanks,” she said, “I thought I had to pack for two. I’m glad that she’s gone now.”

“She was a little entertaining, at first.”

“Sorry about that. I missed you. I wanted to write to you all for all those years, but I thought about how good it would feel to see you in person.”

“I missed you too and you know they never took back the ring and I still have it in my pocket.”

“Does that mean you were going to choose me?”

“I was thinking about it.”

“While I am flattered, I think your mom was right. I think we should wait until we’re ready. Why don't you try being single for a while? You might find something about yourself that you never knew. We have at least two more years. I will be back and that’s something you can count on.”

I loaded her bag onto the carriage and she kissed me on the cheek.

“One more thing before I go. Vyxsin wanted you to be begging for my flank, do you think you could…” I didn’t let her finish her sentence. I grabbed her by the flank and held her close to me. “Thanks.” I let her go and she too flew off.

I waited until I could no longer see her carriage. When it finally disappeared, I went back inside. I hung my suit up and brought it to the closet. I started to listen to some music.

“Hey,” Cadence said as she let herself in, “So that was interesting.”

“I know. I’m glad it’s over.”

“You and Shining both. He wouldn’t let me go when I went to go see him. I don’t think I’ve ever hear him say ‘I love you’ that many times.”

“That sounds like him.”

“School starts in a week, and you’re going in single.”

“I know. I’m going to be surrounded by mares. I guess this week was good practice.”

“Just out of curiosity, who were you going for?”

“She knows.” 
> Chapter 18: Junior
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the week I just had, it was nice waking up to nothing. I do think that I would feel better if I Celestia didn’t stop me or if Angel and I weren’t “taking a break”. But it was still nice waking up and having no pony expecting you. 

I spent most of that day in my room, just listening to music and reading. I didn’t even go to dinner that night. When a pony came knocking at my door, I asked them to go away. The only ponies I let were the librarian to bring me books and a maid to bring me food. For the first time in a long time, I had a day to myself.

Cadence told me through the door that our friends really wanted to see us, which I was fine with. We met up at the café and did a little bit of catching up. Most of their time was spent helping Angel and Shining with research. I told them about what happened with me, Lavender, and Angel.

“Thank god,” Spitfire said, “I never really liked her.”

“Her teeth and mane always have to be perfect,” Vinyl said.

“She was a little condescending,” Shining said.

“She was extremely condescending,” Vinyl said, “and opinionated.”

“No matter what it was, she had something to say about it,” Shining said.

“You guys know that we’re just taking a break, right? There’s still a chance that we get back together.”

“I think it’s better if they just get it out of their system,” Cadence said.

“What about you, Octavia,” I said, “Do you have anything you want to say.”

“I think she’s an idiot.”

“Whoa, Octavia. We were just taking a few jabs. That was a little harsh don’t you think.”

“I mean it. She’s willing to give up somepony like Golden over nothing.”

“It wasn’t nothing. I cheated on her.”

“It was one stupid kiss, Golden. That’s it. A moment of weakness. That could have been your lowest point in your relationship and she wants to give it up instead of riding it out. Anypony who is willing to do that over nothing doesn’t deserve you.”

“It’s not just that. She’s been insecure about the relationship since you kissed me. She thought I would leave her for some other pony. As it turned out, I proved her right.”

“You didn’t leave her, Golden. You told us that she proposed the ‘break’. I know that you knew that it was just a weak point and you wanted to ride it out and come out stronger on the other end. She didn’t and that’s why she’s an idiot. If you ask me, Golden, you should make it official. She obviously doesn’t feel the same way about you as you do her.”

“Is that it?”

She didn’t respond. None of them did.

“None of you understand what she has done. She tried her best to fit in and have all of you like her. Shining, did you know that she said that you were the best colt that you knew? She said that she would be lucky if she had a colt that’s half the colt you are. And Vinyl, she said that you are one of the most talented ponies that she has ever met. And Octavia, she tried her hardest to be your best friend.”

“No she didn’t!” Octavia said quickly.

“We should go,” Cadence said. Her, Shining, and Spitfire got up and started to leave. Vinyl wanted to stay, but Shining and Spitfire dragged her away. I would have told them to stay, but I was a little too interested in what Octavia was going to say.

“I know that she asked you to stop being friends with me. And the fact that she felt insecure about you leaving her means that she doesn’t trust you. To be honest, she shouldn’t and you know that. You knew that you deserved better than her. You knew that you want somepony who accepted our friendship and she didn’t. That’s why you kissed that mare, not because you thought that you were weak. You did it because you didn’t want to be with her anymore.”

“I wouldn’t do that to her. If I didn’t want to be with her, than I would have done it. My mother raised me better than that. If I could do that whole thing over again, I would have told Angel how I felt or, even better, never kissed her in the first place.”

“You did it because it’s what you wanted to do.”

“Why do you care so much about my love life?”

“Because I…” 

“Because you what?” I said after a moment of silence.

“Nothing. I’ll see you around.” She tried to leave, but I grabbed her arm.

“Tell me.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“You’re hurting me, Golden.”

“You what?”

“I care for you. I care for you more than I care about most ponies. Golden, I care for you more than I care about Vinyl. That night, during my concert, you made me go out there. You made me feel comfortable and helped me start my dream and I can never truly repay you for that, but I can come close. Now please let me go.”

“Thank you,” I said as I obeyed.

“I’ll see you around.”

I didn’t stay long after she left. I just ordered another coffee and went to the Hoofball field to watch Spitfire practice. I watched her kick a few balls into the goal and decided to join her.

“Are you ready for this year? This is it, we’re going to be captains.”

“Maybe you, I apparently can’t withstand a kick to the legs.”

“Come on, that was one big guy with one mistake. You are now the best colt on the team. Of course you’re going to make captain.”

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Disconnect. We just had an intense moment and here you are playing Hoofball and acting like nothing happened.”

“I don’t like to think about that kind of stuff when I play. All I think about is how good it feels when I’m playing.”

“What do you really think about Angel?”

“Come on, Golden, don’t put me in that situation.”

“I just want to know what my friends really think.”

“I kinda agree with Octavia. If she felt so insecure about you leaving her, maybe you should have. And you have to admit that she is overacting a bit. I mean, it was just a kiss, it’s not like you had sex with her. Maybe you should just make it official.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“You should go home and listen to some music. That always makes you feel better.”

“Thanks Spitfire. Thanks for being such a great friend.”

“Well, I owe it to you. Freshmen year, I felt like and outsider and you made me feel welcome. Now get going before you kiss me too.”

I laughed and walked off. On the way back, I was stopped by Self Portrait, a unicorn that goes to my school.

“Hi, Golden,” She said, “So, I heard that you’re single. Do you maybe want to grab something to eat or see a movie or something sometime?”

“Sorry, but I think I’m going to take a friend’s advice and be single for a while.”

“Are you sure? Because word of what happened last week has been getting around and every mare knows that you are single. If you hook up with me, than everything will be fine, but if you don’t, every mare will be all over you.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

“Fine, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you.”

A few more mares stopped me on the way home and said the same thing. I took Spitfire’s advice and listened to music. She was right, I did feel better. I went to dinner that night feeling better. We acted as if nothing happened today. Even Octavia, who wasn’t one to let things like this go, acted like the last part of our get together didn’t happen. I didn’t mind because I thought it ended all right between all of us.

Shining and Cadence tried their best not to be a couple around me. Cadence even put Spitfire and Vinyl in between them. I told them that it was okay, but Cadence said that she didn’t know what I was talking about. It was a little funny watching them trying to make eye contact. Of Course, Octavia was the only other pony to notice and we giggled about it.

After dinner, just went back to my room. Something told me to the balcony. I decided against it because I didn’t really want to think about Angel. I read a little more of a Doctor Whooves book before I fell asleep.

Celestia woke me up the next day and told me that she wanted me to learn a little bit about my family. I got ready and she took me to the library. I didn’t notice how big the library was until we walked through it. We walked for a good five minutes before arriving at a wall with a family tree painted on it.

The tree went back centuries and was so tall that I could barely see the top. Celestia told me that I didn’t really have to worry about that far back, she just wanted me to see her grandparents and everything after that.

“My mother and father took over the throne when my grandmother died. They had me shortly after.”

“Alicorns can die? But, you’re almost a thousand years old, and your parents have to be way older.”

“Alicorns are very special. They have more magic than the regular unicorn which causes them to have some abilities that no other pony has. One of them is immortality. An alicorns can completely stop their aging process. However, at a certain age their decision becomes permanent.”

“How many alicorns choose to become immortal?”

“Not many and that led to alicorn’s endangerment. As crossbreeding between alicorns, unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies became more common, we learned that there is an extremely low chance of being born an alicorn. In fact, there is only one other known alicorn that isn’t a part of the royal family.”

Out of curiosity, I followed Cadence’s family to figure out her relation to Celestia. My great grandfather had an earth pony son, who had a pegasus daughter who had Cadence and Blueblood. I then notice another line coming off of my grandparents.

“Who’s Luna?” I asked after following the line.

“My sister…” she said. I noticed that she was tearing up a bit.

“Why haven’t I met her?”

“I don’t like to talk about it and please don’t make me.”

“Okay.”

I looked at Celestia’s portrait again and saw a dotted line coming from it. I followed it to a portrait of me.

“Why is my line dotted?”

“Because you’re adopted.”

“But, you’re my mom.”

“You’re still adopted, Golden. I’m not your real mom, so it had to be dotted.”

“No,” I said as I grabbed a small can of black paint, “You’re my real mom. And this is how it should be.” I used the paint to finish the line. Celestia smiled and laughed a bit we hugged and talked about our family, little while longer. After, I met up with my friends. Again, they acted as if yesterday didn’t happen. Again Cadence and Shining tried to not act like a couple.

The rest of the week was more or less normal. A mare asking me out every other hour, Octavia and I laughing at every awkward thing our friends did, Spitfire and I practicing Hoofball. I tried my best not to think about Angel. For the most part, I was doing fine. Every so often, however, I would find my mind thin thing about what she was doing. I reminded myself that I couldn’t be thinking about her and should spend this year thinking about myself. And then something hit me: I’m going to see her at school. I knew that I would have to face her sooner or later, So I decided to cross that bridge when I got there.

As it turned out, I had to cross that bridge on the first day.

“Hi Golden,” She said as she walked into our Anatomy class. Unfortunately the class was popular because of this teacher and Angel was one of the last students to show up I so the only swat open was next to me.

“Hey Angel,” I said as she sat down next to me.” How have you been?”

“Fine. And yourself? I heard what happened. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m actually a little relieved that my mom stopped it. I don’t know if I would have been ready for that big of a commitment.”

“Because that’s what you want to hear.”

“I mean, I think I will one day, just not today. I’m not helping am I?”

“No.” We chuckled a bit and talked a bit longer. She found another group of friends to hang out with. Most of them were other girls, but there was one gay colt. I was a little relieved that she wasn’t really hanging out with other colts that wanted more than just a friendship. Though I didn’t want her to not date other colts, I’m just not ready to see her dating. The conversation got more awkward as it went on. There wasn’t really a lot to talk about. The only thing notable that happened was what caused us problems in the first place.

The class seemed to go by quickly, but that was because I wanted it to end. The longer I sat next to Angel the more it made me think about Lavender, Star, and the twins. When the bell finally did ring, I was the first one out the door. I walked away from the class as fast as I could, just to make sure that I didn’t spend any more time with Angel. 

My next class was Music Apperception. It’s a new class that school was offering and Octavia and Vinyl begged us to take it.  Cadence couldn’t because she was going to run for junior president and the meeting take place during second period and Shining and Spitfire said they wanted to take another class that was only available during the same time.  I agreed to take the class because I thought it would be an easy class and it would be nice chance to find different types of music.

I entered the classroom and found an open seat next to the girls. I started to tell them that Angel was in my last class and Vinyl busted out laughing.

“You and your ex in the same Anatomy class!” She said through her laughter. “The only thing that could make it better is if Boobs McCleavage was sitting next to you.”

“First off, her name is Lavender and she’s a sweet mare when you get to know her. Second, it’s not funny. The more we talked, the more I felt disconnected to her.”

“That’s a good thing,” Octavia said, “the more disconnected you feel, the easier it is to get over her.”

“I don’t know if I want to get over her, at least not yet.”

“Look, Golden…”

“Alright,” Vinyl said, “Let’s calm down. You know it’s really bad when I’m the voice of reason.”

Octavia and I didn’t talk to each other after that. To be honest, I was a little tired of her and how she thinks what’s best for me. I’m 17, I think I can take care of myself.

When the bell rang, I again rushed out of the class. I was kicking myself a little because I had to run to my locker before I went to my next class. I tried to make my way there as quickly as I could, but I was constantly stopped by mares. Every time I told them that I wanted to try and be single and told them try again in a year.

Shining and Spitfire were in my class and I was a bit happy about that. Like I said, Spitfire could disconnect easily and she could tell when I didn’t want to talk about something. As for Shining, he was under strict orders from Cadence not to talk about Angel. He didn’t want to anyway. We have a bit of a connection and could tell when the other one didn’t want to share.

Our teacher is Mr. Truman. He’s the oldest teacher on staff and is infamous for his “Truman Talks”, which were talks he gives to ponies to whip them in line. They apparently work, because he has never failed a student. At the same time, he has a few strange methods. First, he keeps his classroom cold. He believes that if you’re shivering, than you’re not sleeping. Second he ends the class with four reminders: no drinking, no doing drugs, no sex, and don’t fail any classes. He says that he’s seen students’ life cut short or didn’t graduate because they didn’t follow one of the rules. I quickly found out that he was a nice guy only wants to see his student succeed.

I had Language Arts next, which was the only class I had by myself. The only problem was that the class was on the other side of the campus, so I didn’t have time to mess around. When I got to the class, there wasn’t many seats left. I picked the one that was surrounded by the least amount of mares. Luckily, there was a seat next to only one mare, and she was lost in another colt’s eyes.

“Oh, god,” A unicorn colt to my right said. “You’re Prince Golden and you’re sitting next to me.”

“Please don’t freak out,” I said. “I’m just like any other colt here.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that I never met anypony from the royal family. I just can’t believe it.”

“You’ve never met me or Cadence? Are you new here?”

“Yeah, well no. I attended Star Swirl Academy and didn’t really get out much. I heard about some transfer program and I thought I would try it out. I somehow drew Canterlot High out of everywhere and here I am. My friends call me Ace, by the way.”

“Well Ace, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Ace and I talked for a bit longer. He was pretty star struck to even see me, probably more than the mares. When the class started, Mrs. Steinbeck made us dance to “123” by Johnson 5. I was happy that I got her out of the other teachers. Many of the mares and colts on the Hoofball team loved her. They were always talking about how she was helping them get a job or talking about some movie that just came out or making a reference that only a handful of us would understand. I met her and her husband, who is also a language arts teacher, once when Cadence dragged me to some club meeting on a day that I didn’t have practice.

Mrs. Steinbeck started to talk about her favorite books and why she loves each one of the. She would talk with such emotion and power, as if everything she thought about a book happened to her. She even read her favorite passage from a book and I understood why she loved books. When she read, she painted this world and make everything come to life. She was so enthusiastic I just had to pick her brain after class. There was apparently at least one every year that becomes intrigued with her views, but she was surprised that I was the first this year. I became so lost in the conversation that I didn’t even realize that we talked through lunch.

My next class was Trigonometry, which I decided to take because somepony told me it was the easiest math class a junior can take. I’ve never really been that good at math. The best grade I’ve even gotten was a B- and that was because a tutor helped me the entire time. I decided that I was going to take vivid notes and study. It probably wasn’t a good sign that I almost fell asleep on the first day.

I ended the day like I always did, playing Hoofball with Spitfire. I walked onto the field with her and we were welcomed with applause. I saw Hat Trick and Scissor Kick, who graduated last year, standing next to the coach with a smile. 

“Congratulations, Golden Shield and Spitfire,” Hat Trick said.

“Not only are you two the new captains of the Canterlot Wondercolt’s Hoofball team, but you two are the youngest in the school’s history.” Scissor Kick said.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said.

“They’re not,” Coach Scoreline said. “You two are the best we have and your teammates all said they will quit if you two didn’t get it.”

The rest of the time was spent with try outs. We guaranteed the returning players their spots, but that still left a few positions open. Since last year, more and more sophomores have been trying out for the varsity team. While we would like to put at least one of them on the team, the junior senior players were much better. Lucky for us, we didn’t have to make a decision today as tryouts took about a week.

When the bell rang and school ended, I didn’t wait for my friends. I didn’t really want to hang around Octavia until she’s over this whole “Anti-Angel” thing she’s doing. To be honest, I didn’t really want to think about Angel or this I just had week. Well it was that and I didn’t want to get trampled by a mob of mares, which would have happened if I stayed in one place for too long.

I was lucky enough to make it back to the castle and only have a few mare stop me. I would usually be greeted by Celestia, but she had to do some clean up after she stopped the ceremony. I made my way to the personal kitchen, made myself a snack and then went to my room. I found a letter on my desk from Baltimare. I didn’t hesitate to open and read it.

Dear Golden Shield,

It’s been a while since I’ve done this and it’s long overdue. It’s only been a week and I miss you so much. There’s a part of me that wishes I accepted your offer, but there’s another part of me that makes me glad. I’m going to be like a little mare getting a toy she’s been waiting for.

Just for fun, I let Vyxsin out of her cage for a day. Big mistake. Just by wearing her tight clothes, which I have no idea how I was ever comfortable in, I had colts all over me. I don’t think I’ll be doing that again anytime soon.

I miss you so much and I can’t wait to see you again. With any luck it will be soon.

Love,

Lavender

I smiled as I read the letter and could almost hear her. I picked up a quill and wrote back to her, telling her about Octavia’s reaction and how Spitfire and I were made captains of the Hoofball team. I was about to write “Love”, but then I realized that I couldn’t if I still wanted to fix what I had with Angel.

Letters came every day for the next two week. It was my favorite part of the day, mainly because I got to talk to somepony about all my problems and they won’t judge me. Octavia and I still haven’t really talked. It’s just really been a “hello” and “how are you”. I wasn’t sure if she was still trying to get me to officially break up with her. Anytime she ever brought up Angel, I told her that I didn’t want to talk about it. 

Speaking of which we were doing fine. We spoke every morning any almost any other chance we got. She told me about her friends and some stories. It was nice just talking, but I missed calling her my marefriend. Every time I see her I wish that she should run up to me, plant a kiss on my cheek, and say that she forgave me.

I walked into my Music Apperception class, but only saw Vinyl sitting at our usual seats.

“Where’s Octavia?” I asked Vinyl.

“I didn’t think you would care.”

“Why wouldn’t I care?”

“Because you haven’t talked to her. You that hurt her. You’re one of her closest friends and you don’t even want to see her.”

“It’s not that Vinyl. She just wants to talk about my relationship with Angel and I just don’t want to.”

“Whatever. I don’t know where she is.”

“What’s eating you?”

“You are. Seriously, all she did was show some tits and you’re all over her. Is that all it takes for you? What if I started hanging around you in nothing but a bra? Twenty bits says that you’ll think I’m the love of your life.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Oh yeah, then was it because she stuck them in your face. Or are you more of an ass colt.”

“Vinyl! Would you shut up for five minutes and let me explain. When I was old enough, I figured that I felt like I loved her. And you didn’t hear what she said to me.”

“Well that’s not the point. The point is Octavia was trying to help you and you just shunned her.”

“She wasn’t trying to help me. She was meddling in my love life. Not only that, but she knew that I still felt something towards Angel and she was telling me how I should feel.”

“I guess she does do that sometimes. But you shouldn’t just block her out.”

“You’re right.”

“And don’t even get me started…wait what? Did you just say I was right? You never say I’m right.”

“Lavender and I have been writing to each other and she told me the same thing, more or less. I was planning on apologizing today, but she’s not here.”

Time seemed to just drift by. I was pretty distracted and barley paid attention. I was walking around almost zombie like, ignoring any advances from mares, so there was that. Ace was able to snap be back by acting like he saw a ghost.

“What’s up with you?” I said.

“I-I-I-It’s…h-h-h-h-he-he-he-her.” I looked at the door and saw Octavia walking in. I jumped up to greet her.

“Hi,” we said at the same time.

“I’m sorry,” we again said at the same time. “You first. I’ll go.”

“Please let me go,” I said. “I’ve been acting like an idiot who thinks he always knows what’s best for him when we both know that’s not true. I need somepony like you to put me in my place and make sure I don’t do something stupid, like ignoring a friend.”

“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t involve myself with your love life. You do know what’s best for you sometimes and I should respect that.”

“So, what are you doing here?”

“I was meeting with a counselor this morning and my schedule changed and I’m in this class.”

“That’s great! This is my new friend, Ace. Ace this is…”

“Y-Y-You’re Octavia Melody. I’m such a huge fan. I’ve been to all of your concerts.”

“Well it’s always great to meet a fan.” We talked a bit longer, but Ace was stuttering like he had a speech impediment, and I introduced her Mrs. Steinbeck. After just five minutes of talking, she understood why I’ve been skipping out on her and our friends at lunch.

Months went by and nothing really changed. I still wrote to Lavender every day and she always wrote back. Cadence won junior class president, but that was expected. Vinyl started getting more gigs as a DJ, which she enjoyed. Shining was made the quarterback of the Hoofball team and was getting more stare to me, thank god. This made Cadence a little jealous and she started to act a little protective of him.

Masquerade decided to throw an end of the year party. The six of us went as a group, as usual. I invited Angel to come with us, but she said that she was going with her friends. I was a little disappointed because I saw this as a chance to fix whatever we had left. I realized that there was no chance of fixing what we had at the party when I saw Masquerade’s arm around her. With a little help from Cadence, I was able to talk to Angel in private.

“When were you going to tell me?” I asked her

“Don’t worry, I’m not with Masquerade. He asked me to be his guest and I thought it would be alright if I invited my friends. I didn’t think this was a date.”

“Are you into him?”

“He’s a little too flashy. Are you going to act like this whenever I’m with any non-gay colt?”

“We can’t keep doing this. We have to talk about it now.”

“About what?”

“About us. I think it’s time that we stopped taking a break and decided if we’re still a thing or if we should just move on.

> Chapter 19: Talk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We were outside, just talking about us. We could feel the cool night breeze, which I think helped a little. In an instant, it was like Angel and I were in our own world. It felt as if there was no pony to disturb us and nothing that wanted us. That’s all there was. Just us.

“Where do you want to start?” Angel asked.

“I first want to say that I missed calling you my marefriend.”

“You did?”

“That’s not all. I missed holding you. I missed our inside jokes. But most of all, I missed just being near you.”

“I missed you too, but I also miss my friends in Filydelphia.”

“So we’re just friends now,” I said with a little trepidation. 

“I didn’t say that. I just meant that we’re not where we need to be for us to be a couple.”

“We can get there.”

“Do you want to get there?” I hesitated, mainly because I didn’t know how to answer honestly. “That’s what I thought. Golden, if you can’t answer that then how can I trust you again.”

“We can find a way. There’s always a chance.”

“But I don’t want to find a way. I want to see the way and I want to know that I can wake up and know that you love me.”

“Isn’t that what love is? Taking a leap of faith?”

“Yeah a leap of faith, not a leap off a cliff onto jagged rocks. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Who’s to say you won’t cheat on me again.”

“It’s was one kiss in the heat of the moment. I wasn’t thinking straight and I promise that it won’t happen again.”

“I didn’t kiss Blueblood that night when he pulled out that condom. I was faithful to you and this is how you repay me?”

“It was just one kiss.”

“Well I didn’t kiss my foalhood crush.”

“What?”

“When I was back in Fillydelpha, a colt I had a crush on when I was eight asked me out. I could have said yes and dated him for a year. I could have slept with him and you would be none the wiser, but I didn’t.”

“And I appreciate it, but you have to know that I could have been with a lot of mares while you were gone. I didn’t because I loved you.”

There it was. The whole reason why I kissed Lavender and why we were fighting right now. It was silent between us and the tension could be cut with a knife. I was just as shocked as she was about what I just said. She was the first to speak up.

“So you don’t love me anymore.”

I didn’t know what to say next. There was nothing I could say that would make it okay.

“I’m sorry Angel.” She started to cry a bit, but nothing as bad was when I first told her about what happened with me and Lavender.

“I understand, a little. It’s just that I’ve spent so much of my time and energy towards us and then you just say that you don’t love me anymore.”

“I know, but…wait, do you still love me?”

“Why would you even say that?”

“Because I told you that I missed you as a marefriend and you told me that you miss me like just any of your other friends. Do you still love me?”

“I can’t say that I can.”

“When did you realize it?” I asked after a few moments of silence.

“When I saw you hugging Lavender right before you teleported. That was the longest second of my life and I had to watch you hug her the entire time. I felt something between you two. I didn’t want to believe it at first, so I didn’t. I played it off as you trying to protect me from doing something I would regret. I knew that I was right when you told me that you kissed her. You suddenly just became another pony to me.”

“I think we know what’s next.” I said. We both started to cry and we hugged each other one last time before we made it official.

We walked back into the party and went our separate ways. I found my friends sitting on at a table looking like they’re having a good time. I didn’t want to interrupt that, but Cadence saw the numb expression on my face. She hugged me as she realized what happened and took me back to their table.

“What happened?” Spitfire asked.

“Angel and I made it official. We broke-up.”

“I’m sorry Golden,” Octavia said.

“How do you feel?” Shining asked me.

“You know what? I’m fine. I was almost expecting it.”

“Are you sure?” Vinyl asked, “I thought you would be a lot more broken up.”

“You thought or you were hoping?”

“It’s just that I never get to see you really cry. Just once for me?”

“Not in your life.”

The rest of the night was pretty fun. I didn’t think about what just happened and tried to focus on the party. Again, Cadence and Shining tried their best not to act like a couple around me. I would have told them that it was okay, but it was pretty funny watching their prolonged eye contact. When the party ended, we walked Octavia, Spitfire, and Vinyl to their homes. When we finally got to the castle, Cadence and Shining couldn’t hold it in anymore and kissed. I ended up laughing because their horns were glowing and Cadence’s wings were extended. I always thought that there was something funny about the fact that Cadence had a glowing horn and extended wings when she’s in love.

“I’m sorry about that,” Cadence said as we walked back to our rooms.

“I keep telling you guys that I’m fine. You and Shining and can show your affection around me.”

“Are you sure you’re fine? You really shouldn’t be.”

“Why?”

“Because you loved her. Not only that. But you fell in love with her the second you saw her. Golden, you almost punched Blueblood for her.”

“In fairness, I would have almost punched Blueblood period.”

“Either way, you spent so much of your time and energy towards that relationship and then you just ended it. Most ponies would be crushed or devastated. They wouldn’t have fun at a party, especially when they just broke up with their marefriend at that party”

“I think it was a long time coming. We talked about it a little when I told her about what happened. By then I think I was falling out of love with her.”

“Well if you need anything, I’ll always be here for you,” She said and then closed her door.

I know I should be broken up about this whole thing, but I’m not. I think it’s because Lavender was right, I need to be single for a while. I can’t have anything more than a platonic relationship right now because I can only give out platonic love. For once in two years, I had no real desires and it feels great. I went to bed with a smile on my face because I felt this good.

There was a banging on my door the next morning that woke me up. It wouldn’t stop until I opened it. Vinyl was on the other side with a bit of a worried look on her face.

“We need to talk.”

“It’s 7 AM the first day of summer,” I said still half asleep.

“I know, get dressed. I’ll buy you coffee.”

“You have money?”

“Shut up, this is serious.”

I’ve never seen Vinyl like this. Usually she’s usually vary laid back and doesn’t care about a lot of things. Either way she was buying coffee and it’s way too early to try and argue. I got dressed like she said and we walked to the café. We ordered our drinks and found a table, although the latter part wasn’t that hard.

“You want a good pick-me-up? Drink some black coffee. So, why are we up so early?”

“It’s Octavia.”

“Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, for now. Look I don’t think I need to tell you that she likes you. I mean really likes you.”

“Please, we’re just friends. We talked about this freshmen year. Neither one of us want to ruin a friendship with something that might not last.”

“God damn it, you’re blind. You honestly think that sophomore year was just some why to get some creep off her back? What about her transferring to your Language Arts class? And have you noticed how she always wants to sit next to you? She’s playing a bigger game and she wins when she can call you hers. And now that you’re officially single, she has a way to win.”

“Octavia has always been straight forward with me. That’s our unspoken agreement and the testament to our friendship’s strength. Sure, we may have hidden agendas, but if one asks, the other will tell, especially when it comes to something like this.”

“No offence, Golden, but you don’t know anything. Octavia has always had big plans for everything and there’s nothing she loves more than seeing everything play out the way she wants it to. Look, I’m not asking you to stop hanging around Octavia or anything, just be careful what you say around her. Oh, and take this.”

Vinyl took out an untied pink bow tie and gave it to me. I took some time to really look at it. It was the one I gave to Octavia the night she couldn’t preform her first concert.

“This is the bow tie I gave to Octavia.”

“I know. She’s been carrying it around like a security blanket. I snagged it from her when we were getting ready for that party last night.”

“I gave it to her so she would always know that I will be there for her. She needs this.”

“Just take it and don’t give it back to her. Please Golden, it’s for her own good.”

“Why do care so much?”

“Because she’s my best friend and I don’t want to see her get hurt. And to be completely honest, I thought you looked cute with the girl in the garden.”

“So, now you’re meddling in my love life? I’ll see you around, Vinyl. Thanks for the coffee.” I walked back to the castle, finishing my drink on the way. I decided to go up to the balcony to think, like I always do. I was surprised to see Cadence up there when I got there, as I’ve never even thought of Cadence being up here.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“You’re always talking about how you do some of your best thinking up here, so I thought I should try it out.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“Should I break-up with Shining?”

“What? No. Absolutely not. How could you even think of something like that?”

“I was thinking about you and Angel and how you two just fell out of love. Just a year ago, you two were madly in love. I would have place good money on you two getting married. But in an instant, all that didn’t matter and you were just friends. The worst part is that I could actually see the love fade. I started thinking, if it could happen between you two, who’s to say it can’t happen to me and Shining.”

“Because we weren’t meant to be. Something small came in-between us and we let it become this big whole thing. When Shining became a quarterback, you made sure that no mare came between you two. Not only that, but if a mare did, you would have made sure that it didn’t become a big thing. I can’t say I did the same thing. I brought Angel to the castle knowing full well that Vyxsin might pull something.”

“Thanks, Golden. So why are you here?”

“Vinyl thinks that Octavia has a crush on me.”

“Well obviously.”

“Not you too.”

“Think about it Golden. Sophomore year when she was ‘pretending’ to go out with you, why you? Shining and I weren’t going out until the end of the year. She could have explained it to me and I would have been completely fine with it.”

“What should I do?”

“Well she hasn’t brought it up yet, so I wouldn’t say anything about it. If on the off chance that she does say something, I would be honest with her. How do you feel?”

“She’s one of my closest friends and I don’t want to do anything to ruin that.”

“She’s lucky to have a friend like you. I think we all are.”

“I think I’m the lucky one. I mean, I could have been a different pony.”

“What do you mean?”

“What if I could remember my real mom? What if I never left her? What if Celestia never found me in the Everfree Forrest? What if somepony claimed me at Ponyville or here? There was a chance that you and I could have never met. I guess the only good thing would be that I would have never met Blueblood, but that wouldn’t have made up for not knowing you. Everything had to be just right or else none of this would have happened.”

Cadence and I stayed up there and talked for a bit longer. The rest of the day was normal. Well normal compared to the last two summers. Most of it was spent doing what we would do after school. We did spend a little more time with Twilight this summer. She was excited to start her third year as Princess Celestia personal student. 

Octavia didn’t bring up any of her feelings. I gave back the bow tie the next day and told her that I found it on the last day of school. She blushed a bit and told me that she was carrying it around to boost her confidence. I asked her how she felt about me and I got the answer I expected. Like I’ve been saying, she didn’t want to ruin a long last friendship for something that could die in a second. However, Vinyl still tried her best to keep us apart. Octavia and I quickly figured out what she was trying to do, so we messed with her a little. We would play hoofsies to an obvious point, or she would insist on sitting next to me at dinner. We really made her jump through hoops to make her keep us apart.

I still couldn’t shake the feeling of how lucky I was. Everything had to fall perfectly in place for me to live this life. If just one thing happened differently, there was a chance that I could have ended as smug as Blueblood. 

I woke up one morning and realized that it was my last first day of school.
> Chapter 20: Senior (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We stood in front of Canterlot High, like we did freshmen year, and took it all in.

“Our last first day,” Vinyl said.

“It seems like such a long time ago,” Spitfire said. “Do you guys remember when you first met me?”

“Three years ago at 3,” Shining said.

“Can you believe it, Golden?” Vinyl asked. “This is going to be out last year here.”

“I know. Where did the time go?”

“What are we waiting for?” Cadence asked. “Time waits for no pony.”

We walked in together and got our last schedules for the year. Because I did so well the past three years, I only really needed to take two classes: Language Arts and Economics. The other classes could be whatever I want them to be. 

My first class was Creative Writing, a class Cadence, Octavia, and I picked at random.  The teacher was Mr. Storyteller. She somewhat reminded me of Mrs. Steinbeck, but he likes to write books rather than reading them. He has actually been published multiple times. One of which, The Fault in Our Stars, is one of my favorite books. He is laid back and enjoys a quick whited joke.

My next class with Economics, which was the only class I had with Shining. The class was taught by Mr. Commence. On the first day, he promised that no pony will fail his class. He told us that so long as we showed up, did our homework, and took good notes, we barley have to try. From what I heard from members of the Hoofball team, he was the easiest Economics teacher to get because you never really have to worry about his class.

My third class was a Manners and Ethics class, where we look at different moral choices and how they change depending where you are in the world. I was happy to see both Octavia and Spitfire. The class itself was pretty fun, as the teacher put us in into situations where you didn’t have time to think and had to go off our first thought.

I was happy that Octavia and I got Mrs. Steinbeck again for Advanced Literature. It was also the only class I had with Angel. I was glad that things ended on a positive note with us and we could still be friends. Mrs. Steinbeck was excited to see us again and promised us that we were going to have a great year. We found out that Cadence and Spitfire got Mr. Steinbeck during the same period. I personally thought it was going to be fun because the two classes will make poems insulting the other class and see who had the best poem of the year. What really made me happy, however, was that I was able to TA for Mrs. Steinbeck.

And of course, I ended the day with Hoofball. Spitfire and I were named captains again and we decided to start try-outs ASAP. We were surprised by the some of the sophomores who brought their game. Unfortunately for them, the returning players were just a little better and only one sophomore made it to the varsity team.

The rest of the day was pretty normal. The six of us hanging around Canterlot, Octavia and I annoying Vinyl, mares asking me out every hour on the hour, going to dinner. For once, it seemed as if I was going to have a relatively normal school year, until Shining’s name was called into the front office during second period a week into the school year. None of us saw him until the second half of lunch.

“What happened?” Cadence asked immediately.

“You know that student exchange thing that the school does?”

“Yeah,” I said know what was coming next.

“I’m going to Applewood.”

“What?” Vinyl said, “Why you?”

“It was randomly decided. It really could have been anypony. I’m just wondering why it wasn’t anypony.”

“How long are you going to be gone?” Spitfire asked.

“Just the first semester. I’ll be back for Heart’s Warming. I’m going to miss you guys.”

“No!” Cadence said. “I’ll talk to Auntie Celestia. If anypony can make you stay, it’s her.”

“Cadence, don’t. It’s only going to be three months and I’ll write to you every day.”

“But, I need you here. I need my Knight in Shining Armor.”

“I know, and I need you too, but I think I need this. I mean, when do I really get the chance to see Applewood?”

“Your parents can’t be okay with this.” Cadence said.

“Actually they want me to go. They showed up at the front office to congratulate me. I’m leaving on Saturday.”

Cadence continued to try and convince him not to leave, but Shining has always been set in his ways. She even tried to convince Celestia to use some of her influence to make him stay. To her misfortune, Celestia also thought this would be good for him. Saturday eventually came and we gathered on the castle’s landing area to say our goodbyes to Shining.

“Hey, Twily,” He said to Twilight. “I’m going to be gone for a while and I’m going to miss you like crazy. I promise that I’ll write to you every day.”

“But what if I need you?”

“I want you to go to Cadence or Golden. They’ll take care of you.”

“Okay. I love you Shining,” Twilight said as she hugged him.

“I love you too, Twily,” He said while hugging her back. When they let go, he moved over to Vinyl.

“Look out for Golden. He can be a handful,” he said jokingly.

“Like I don’t know.”

“I’m standing right here,” I said, but they ignored me and hugged.

“Don’t you dare lose a single game,” He said to Spitfire.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” She said and they too hugged.

“Are you sure you still want to go?” Cadence asked when he reached her. “This is your last chance.”

“I’m sorry Cadence, but I have to. When will I ever get the chance to do this again? But I’ going to miss you so much.”

“I going to miss you too. I love you.”

“I love you too and I want you to remember that I always will.” They kissed and then he moved onto me. He didn’t say anything at first, he just extended his hand. I took it and he pulled me close and patted each other’s backs.

“Look after Cadence,” he whispered to me.

“She’ll be fine without you,” I whispered back.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” We backed off from each other and he said his goodbyes to his parents. He finally boarded his carriage and he was off. We waited until we couldn’t see the carriage anymore.

It really wasn’t the same without Shining. We still did all the things we normally did, but it felt like something was missing. We tried not to think about it and started to count down the days until he came back. Twilight spent a little more time with Cadence, but I think that was just to fill the space Shining left. He did keep his word and wrote to both Cadence and Twilight every day.

He ended up living with Star Darling while he was there and attended the same school. She was happy enough to show him around and introduce him to her friends. He sent pictures of him near the Applewood sign and The Fame Walk. While it was nice to see him enjoy himself, but I would rather have him here. It was mainly because of what he asked me to do.

Cadence knows how beautiful she is. She tries her best to avoid attention by dressing concretively and wearing a minimal amount of make-up. Regardless of how hard she tried, there was at least one colt that would make some comment of how good she looked. Most of them were really just about how much they would have sex. Usually it was just one freshman or sophomore, but more and more colts have been talking since Shining left. I tried my best to tell them to shut up or intimidate them when I’m around Cadence. I tried my best to make it look like I wasn’t scaring off colts.

To make matters worse, Octavia asked me to do the same for her. Over the two months since shining left, Octavia had another concert. She had to get a new dress designer because her old one was working on costumes for a Manhattan play. Her new designer got the measurements wrong and the dress ended up being a little too small. With no time for a new one, Octavia had to squeeze into the dress. The concert itself was spectacular, but that’s not what everypony, or at least every teenage colt, was talking about the next day. The dress showed too much cleavage and barley covered her flank. While the reviews were universally positive, Octavia was mortified by the attention she was getting. She asked me to scare away any colts who were coming up to her and making dirty jokes. She didn’t ask me to pretend to be dating again, she just wanted somepony who could scare off the riff-raff

One day during lunch, I had to go to my locker to get put away my books. Octavia felt more comfortable if she came with me and Cadence decided to go for the hell of it. When we got there, Cadence realized that she wanted to ask Mr. Steinbeck a question and his class was just down the hall. Octavia also realized that she left her bag with Spitfire and Vinyl and needed it because it had something personal in it. She didn’t wait for me to finish and ran back to our friends. 

“Man, did you see that ass?” Some colt said to his friends. “I would play her like a fiddle. Then I’m gonna take her bow and stick it in her.”

“That’s nothing,” one of his friends said. “What about those royal twins on that mare that walked by. I just want to stick my dick between them.”

“Shut up.” I said to them.

“Excuse me?” One of them said. “Did we ask you to talk to us?”

“Hey, you’re that prince guy. I get it now, you’re banging both of them. Just answer one question, you doing them at the same time or do they even know about each other?”

“I said shut up.”

“Wait, you just broke up with that new chick and that bitch is going out with the quarterback. I guess that means you giving it to her without him knowing.”

Calling Cadence a bitch was the last straw. Without thinking, I slammed my locker shut and slammed him against a wall.

“Listen you little punk. You’re not going to talk about Princess Cadence or Octavia Melody again. And I swear, I hear you call anypony a bitch again, I will make you swallow your teeth.”

“Golden!” Cadence yelled when she saw me holding this colt against the wall. She looked angrier than ever before. “Put him down right now!” 

I wordlessly obeyed and backed off. She then grabbed my arm with a grip harder than I’ve ever felt and dragged me to Mr. Steinbeck’s room. I heard the colts laughing and making whip noises. In retaliation, Cadence hit one of them with a very small energy blast.

“Mr. Steinbeck,” She said as she opened the door, “can we please have a moment?”

“Sure, Cadence. I have to make some copies anyway.” He got up from his desk and patted me on the shoulder, “Hell hath no fury like a mare scorned.” He said to me before he left the room.

“What do you think you were doing?” She said.

“Standing up for my friends.”

“By hurting other ponies?”

“You didn’t hear what they said about you and Octavia.”

“Really what did they say?”

“One of them said they wanted to dick between your boobs.”

“So what? Colts are always talking about how they want to sleep with me. What makes these ponies so special?”

“Because Shining asked me to look after you.”

“What?”

“Before he left, Shining asked me to look after you and keep creeps like that off your back.”

“I can take care of myself, Golden.”

“No offence, Cadence, but you can’t. You don’t hear all the nasty things colts say they want to do with you when you’re not around. Those that know better won’t say anything around Shining or me, but it’s been a free for all since he left.”

“So, you’re saying that I’m a damsel in distress? Somepony who needs another pony to catch her when she faints?”

“I didn’t say that. Look, you just need somepony to help you.”

“And you think that should be you. Who says I need your help?”

“Because you’re not doing anything. All you do is shrug it off like nothing happened when it should bug you.”

“That’s because I know who I love and I don’t let anypony change that.”

“Oh yeah, because you’re such the expert in love.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“First you tried to push me and Octavia together, but you couldn’t get the hint that we just want to be friends. Then you were sure that Angel and I were made for each other, and look how that turned out. Cadence, you gave to stop trying to influence my love life.”

“That’s because I want you to be happy.”

“Then let me live my life. The best relationships I’ve ever had, you haven’t been a part of.”

“Name some.”

“I still write to Lavender and I get so excited to get her letters. And every so often, I get something from the twins that makes me smile. Not only that, but when I feel down, I think about Star Darling’s smile. Refresh my memory, which one did you want me to be with?”

“That’s because you couldn’t see what was best for you.”

“And you did?”

“You were madly in love with Angel. I thought that staying with her would make her the most happy, but no you just had to kiss somepony you knew for a few days.”

“Well, I’m not the control freak. Everything we do, everything we say, even the ponies we hang out with have to be approved by you. Do you know what it’s like to have somepony plan out you day every day? I feel like I’m six, Cadence.”

“Oh yeah, at least I have some impulse control. I don’t go around attacking ponies that cross me and kissing those who make me feel happy. I know where a line is and I can control myself.”

“That’s because I let the world in. I take in everything and make a decision based off my environment. I don’t have to wait and calculate all the possible outcomes, and look where that’s got me. I’m captain of the Hoofball team, Mrs. Steinbeck’s favorite student, and a prince.”

“At least I was born into my title and not adopted.”

Cadence covered her mouth when she realized what she said. We were both shocked that she said that and stopped fighting. I could see how sorry she was in her eyes. They were watering and was about to cry from just that. At the same time, I’m a little glad that she said it. I feel like almost everything was aired out and now I feel closer to her than ever.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. I’m so glad that Auntie Celestia found you.”

“You know what Cadence, you are right. I have low impulse control. I like to follow my heart. Right now, my heart is telling me to do this.”

I grabbed Cadence, held her close to me, and kissed her. I kissed her more passionately than I ever kissed another pony. There was a little resistance at first, but she went along with it when she realized what was happening. When she did, wrapped her arms around me and pulled me closer to her. Before I knew it, our horns were glowing and her wings were extended. 

“I should remind you that you’re adopted more often,” She said after we pulled away.

“Don’t you feel bad about what we just did?”

“Honestly, no. Golden, do you remember when I got my cutie mark?”

“How it just appeared overnight?”

“I wasn’t telling you the truth. What you said to me that night, how I was a one in a million pony, I realized that I loved you. I realized that nothing would make me happier than for us to be together. I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way, so I tried to get over you by dating Shining. I was trying to convince myself that I loved him, and I was starting to believe it, until he left.So, now what?”

“I imagined that we start going out.”

“It’s not that simple. I’m still with Shining.”

“You can break up with him.”

“You don’t understand, he love me as much as you do. If I told him that I wanted to leave him, not only that but I want to leave him for his best friend, he would be crushed.”

“He’s a grown colt, he’ll live.”

“Do you really not care about him?”

“I care about us. He would be crushed and probably get depressed, but I can’t break up with him over a letter. I at least owe him that. Until them, we can’t tell anypony. Not Octavia, not Vinyl, not Auntie Celestia, no pony can know about this.”

“Agreed. Who knows how ponies would react.”

We made sure that we looked the same as when we came into the room. Once we were sure that everything was perfect, we went back to our friends. We made up a story of how I stood up to those punks for Octavia and Cadence’s sake. Luckily, they bought it and didn’t expect a thing. We went all day without anypony thinking that anything happened between us. We even made sure not to give any conspicuous signs of our attraction. When dinner ended, I walked Cadence back to her room.

“Isn’t this exciting, Golden?” She said as she rested her head against my arm.

“I don’t know. I’m actually a little scared. What if somepony finds out?”

“They’re going to find out eventually, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

We reached her room and I kissed her goodnight. I walked to my room, feeling a mixture of fear and pleasure. On one hand, Cadence is the perfect pony. She is, however, my best friend’s mare friend and I feel like a complete douche. I tried to focus on the former and went to bed happy. 

“Hey,” Cadence said as she poked her head into my room before I could fall asleep.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as she came all the way in. She made sure to close the door as quietly as she could so she wouldn’t attract any unwanted attention.

“I can’t sleep. Can I please sleep in here tonight? Please Golden. I need somepony to hold me.”

“You know you’re always welcome here.” I said as I invited her to my bed. She gave me the cutest smile ever and then got under the blanket. I cuddled up next to her and tried to fall asleep. She went to sleep almost immediately. She looked so cute and peaceful sleeping with a messy mane.

This went on for a few weeks and it was somewhat the same. One of us would sneak into the other’s room and sleep in there. She would always fall asleep first and I would always watch her. In the morning, the guest would sneak back to their room to make sure no pony caught on.

It was surprisingly easy to sneak around with Cadence. We made sure not to break our routine around anypony. We talked about her relationship with Shining and we agreed that we wouldn’t say anything until he came back. She was going to be forward with him and tell her feeling about her. Everything seemed to be perfect until one morning.

Cadence slept in my room the night before. I woke up first and tried to wake her up when I realized what time it was.

“You have to go before somepony catches us.”

“Kicking me out? Do you treat every mare like this?” She said while getting out of the bed. 

She left my room as quietly as she could, making sure that the door didn’t even squeak. I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn’t. I decided to take a shower and get ready for the day. I got dressed after my shower and picked up a book. As I was about to start to read a story by T.K. Lovecraft when somepony knocked on my door. I saw Cadence on the other side, still with a messy mane and wearing the same bra and panties. She threw her arms around my neck and pulled me into a kiss. She walked me into my room and kicked the door closed behind her. 

“I want you, right now,” She said. There was something off about her, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“We can’t. What if some pony catches us?”

“I don’t care. I need you.” I knew something was wrong and I know just what to do.

“Alright,” I said with a devilish grin, “but I want to try something. Put your hands behind your back.”

To my surprise, she listened to me. I casted a spell with bound her hands together. There was nothing that could break that spell and she would be putty in my hands.

“Kinky,” she said.

“Lie down,” I ordered as I started to undo and pull down my down my pants. She again obeyed and I used the same spell to bind her hooves together.

“Oh no,” She said as if she was a little girl, “Please Golden, I’m just a little innocent pony.”

“Are you ready for this?”

“No, please don’t stick your thingy in my mouth.”

“You don’t have to worry about that because I want to know where my friend is,” I said and pulled my pants back up.

“What? Golden, it’s me. Cady.”

“There’s only one pony that calls Cadence ‘Cady’ and that’s her brother. Where is she?”

“Clever one, aren’t you? I’ll make you a deal. You fuck me right now and I’ll tell you where she is.”

“How about this: You tell me where she is, and I won’t break your hands and hooves.”

“Is it because I look like her? What I changed to that Lavender girl?”

Cadence was suddenly surrounded by green light and started to change shape. When the light faded, Cadence was replaced by Lavender.

“So, how about it? Now do you want to fuck me?”

“How do you know about her?”

“I’ve been watching you since that whole things your mom made you do last summer.”

“What are you?”

“Whatever you want me to be? What about that Octavia slut?”

Once again, she was surrounded by green light, and Octavia, or what looked like Octavia, was there. I was glad to see that my spell was holding up, which meant that I had complete control over her.

“First: Never call Octavia a slut.”

“Or else what? Octavia is a-”

I used the spell to tighten the spell around its hands and hooves. The spell I used was originally used to hold things like broken pipes together, but has recently been used to replace handcuffs. It’s been a bit controversial because it has the potential to be tighten to the point where it breaks every bone in their hands. Lucky for it, I had no intentions of going that far.

“Second: You’re going to tell what the hell you are.”

“Are you sure? I don’t think you’re going to like me in my true form.”

“Do it.”

It was surrounded by a green light again. When it faded, there was this black bug with holes in its arms and legs.”

“What are you?”

“You’ve never seen a Changeling before? Oh, and don’t worry, it was her last night, but I’m surprised that you haven’t fucked yet.”

“Where is she? What did you do to her?”

“She’s fine in her room.”

I left her in it bound in my room and I ran over to help Cadence. I found her stuck to her bed and covered in some green goo. Thankfully, it didn’t undress her or anything. She looked scared when she saw me, but looked calmer when I let freed her.

“I was so scared, Golden,” She said as she threw her arms around me. “It came to me as Shining and when I figured out that it wasn’t him, it did that to me. Then it changed into me and said that it was going after you. We have to find it.”

“Don’t worry. I tricked it in my room. I have to get Captain Iron Side so he can take it away, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Okay, but please hurry.”

I found Captain Iron Side while he was patrolling his normal route. I told him what happened, leaving out the intimacy between me and Cadence and saying that it was Octavia the entire time. He took the Changeling to a holding cell.

I went back to Cadence to make sure she was okay. She was still shaking a bit, so I sat next to her and hugged her. Something had changed between us. I didn’t see her as a mare that I want, but as somepony I want to make happy. The attraction I had towards her was almost completely gone and all that was left was somepony that I deeply cared for.

“We have to talk. Listen, last night was great and I’m over the moon that you were the first pony I loved and the reason I got my cutie mark, but…”

“You don’t see me the same way as before.”

“Are you mad?”

“No, because I feel that way too.”

“I’m sorry Golden. I’ll always love you, but not the same way. Maybe if we got together before I was with Shining, than all of this will be different. I loved you as a filly, and she will always be a part of me, but I have to look forward and all I see is me with Shining.”

“It’s fine, Cadence. All I really want is to see you happy. I thought that I had to do it, that I have to make you happy. Now that I know that it’s not me, I’m just glad to see that it’s going to be Shining.”

We talked about what happened and agreed that it only transformed Lavender and I decided to keep the Octavia thing to myself. We hugged and went about our day. It was surprisingly easy to get back to normal with Cadence. As far as I could tell, I Cadence no longer had any feelings for me, and I have actually started to look at other mares. It wasn’t anything to serious, mainly smiling back when a shy mare smiles at me, but I feel as if I have no attraction to Cadence at all.

Word quickly spread around Canterlot of the Changeling “attack”. Ponies started to worry that their loved ones were being replaced by Changelings. Ponies started to demand a response from Celestia, which she promised to talk with the Queen of the Changelings when she comes to pick up her prisoner. It took a few weeks, but a meeting date was set and ponies were picked to attend the meeting.

Terms were eventually reached between ponies and Changelings. New laws were passed and a new procedure was created if a Changeling was to visit Equestria. First, a Changeling is to request a visa. If it is approved, then an artist will send them a drawing of a pony they may transform into while visiting. If they are reveled to be Changeling and they do not have a visa or they do not match their drawing, Equestrian officials have the right to arrest it and put it through a trial.

I didn’t really pay attention to the new laws, as they didn’t really affect me. I was more concerned with my friends. Specifically, the fact that Shining was coming back soon. We planned a small party that was just us, Twilight, and Soarn’.

The first thing he did when he came back was hugged Cadence and Twilight, but that was because they were the most excited to see him. He told us stories of him and Star and we told him about what happened here. He was concerned about Cadence, but was happy to see that I was there for her. He spent the night with Cadence that night and it would have been a romantic, if Shining wasn’t uncomfortably loud. He wasn’t so loud that you could hear him throughout the castle, but my room was just barley close enough to hear him. Cadence was the happiest I’ve ever seen her and I was happy for her.

Everything seemed to go back to normal over the next few months. Cadence and Shining were spending all their time together, Octavia and I annoyed Vinyl, out Hoofball team made it to play-offs. It was turning out to be a great senior year and things were about to get better.

It was a Thursday and we were hanging out at the café after school. Octavia ran off saying that she had to meet somepony and would catch up with us later. She came running up to us with a big smile about an hour and a half later.

“You guys, I have some big news. I’ve been booked to play in Applewood during spring break. The best part is that you’re all invited.”

“Sorry Octavia,” Spitfire said, “but I’m visiting family in Cloudsdale.”

“You know I would be there for you Octavia, but my mom says that the family is ‘drifting apart’ and she wants me to spend more time with her,” Vinyl said.

“I’m really sorry, but I’ve had enough of Applewood. Besides, I want to spend some time in Canterlot.”

“Princess Celestia wants to show me what it really means to be a princess. I’m sorry Octavia.”

“Well you know I’ll be there,” I said. This made Octavia smile even more than she was before,

“Thanks Golden,” she said as she hugged me, “I knew I could count on you. We leave on Saturday”

I asked Celestia that night, just to be sure it was okay. She was a little hesitant at first, but she realized that I wasn’t a foal anymore and she let me go. I couldn’t concentrate on Friday, lucky for me most of my teachers decided to take the day to relax. I could hardly eat or sleep that night. I was excited because this was going to be my first time out of Canterlot, excluding Ponyville and the Everfree Forrest. 

I woke up early the next morning to pack. By the time I finished packing, it was time to leave. I had somepony to take my stuff to the train station and I walked over to Octavia’s house with another pony to help with her bags. From there, Octavia, the two ponies with our bags, and I walked to the train station.

Unfortunately there wasn’t anypony to see us off. Spitfire left the last night, but we did say our goodbyes. Vinyl and Shining were going to meet us, but they was probably sleeping in. Cadence and Celestia decided to get an early start with Cadence’s training and that unfortunately meant attending a meeting at the same time our train was leaving. Octavia’s parents were the only ponies to see us off. Her father was a little hesitant to let his daughter go off with a colt, but he knew me and was easier to convince than we initially thought. To be safe, we discreetly said our goodbyes last night.

Octavia and I boarded the train, which was a private car paid for by the Walt Trotney Corporation. Walt Trotney was a household name and held a market in almost everything. Form theme parks to toothbrushes, animated movies to plush toys. Someponies would say that their greatest contribution was the Walt Trotney Concert Hall, where Octavia is going to play. It’s notable for a strange structure, but the interior was something that had to be seen.

The car itself was luxurious. There was a bar, but all the alcohol was replaced by non-alcoholic drinks and a few things to make smoothies. There was a lounge area with three chairs and a couch. Across form the bar was a small card table and a platter set out for us with sparkling apple cider. Finally, there was a sleeping area, which was a room in itself, and a bathroom attached to that.

“This is amazing,” Octavia said.

“I guess they really want you to come back.”

The train suddenly started to move, which caught Octavia off guard. Out of instinct, she put her hands on my chest for support. She retreated the second she regained her footing and started to blush.

“I want to show you something,” she said, hoping I didn’t notice her slightly red cheeks. “Just let me freshen up.”

She went the sleeping area to get ready for something. I wasn’t really sure what she meant, but I couldn’t stop her. I popped the cork on the cider and poured two glasses. I waited on the couch for her thinking of all the possibilities that could happen when she walked through the door. My fear was that she was going to come out either in lingerie or completely naked, saying how her wants to take things to the next level.

“Are you ready?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“What do you think?” she asked as she came out wearing her dress for the concert and carrying her cello.

“Wow, you look beautiful,” I said as I handed her a glass of cider. It was a black dress that covered most of her body. The dress was kept up in two by two studded straps that create a V shape in between her breasts. The straps went continued to the back and made a triple figure eight pattern. The final piece of the outfit was my bowtie around her arm.

“Really, you don’t think the studded straps are too much.”

“No, they bring out your eyes.”

“I just thought that we were in for a long ride, so I thought that I would do a little modeling and entertain us.”

We took a seat across from each other and she started to play. She mainly did a cello rendition of current pop songs. If you ask me, she did a much better job. She changed back into the clothes she was wearing when we got on the train and we talked until the train pulled into the station. We were told to leave our bags on the train and somepony from the hotel will come and get them.

The train ride took all day and we decided to just go to the hotel. The Trotney Company paid for a personal chauffer to take us there. By the time we reached the hotel, checked in, and rode the elevator up to our room, we were pretty tired. We were surprised to see that the elevator took us straight to our room. In retrospect, we should have seen it coming when we needed our room key to use the elevator. Our jaws dropped as it opened to our room.

It was more of a suite or a villa, but was not just a room. It opened to a living room which was mainly a sitting area around a film projector, a screen, and a few reels of both classic and modern movies. The walls had some pictures of famous ponies that stayed here. There was a kitchen, with modern appliances, and a breakfast bar. There were two bedrooms that mirrored each other, but they both had the same things. There was a queen sized bed, a dresser, two end tables on either side of the bed, a balcony, and a bathroom attached to each.

We figured out which room was which based off gift baskets on the bed. We also found that our clothes were already put in the dresser and my books were stacked on one of the end tables. I wasn’t too tired, so I took a shower before I went to bed. I was about to fall asleep, but there was suddenly a knock on my door. I got up to open it to find Octavia on the other side looking worried.

“I can’t sleep, Golden,” She said almost immediately. “I already miss home and I just need something to remind me of Canterlot. Can I please sleep with you tonight?”

“Yeah, sure.” I heisted a little because I was a little afraid. Mainly afraid of her wanting more out of me than just somepony to help her sleep.

She climbed into one side of my bed and I climbed into the other. I tried to stay on one side of the bed, even sleeping on my side to make sure there was plenty of space between us. Octavia had other ideas. She started to get close to me and eventually grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers.

“What are you doing?” I said as I sat up.

“Alright Golden,” she said as she sat up with me, “I think it’s obvious that I like you on some level. The only problem is that I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way, but I knew that you always liked somewhere deep down in your heart. There was always something in the way. It could have been Angel or our friends or your title, but not here. It’s just you and me.”

“Look, you’re an amazing pony and anypony would be lucky to have you, but we can’t. We’re too close of friends and there is nothing I value more than what we have. But...”

“But what?”

“But…”

“You know, you haven’t let go of my hand.”

I looked down to see that she was right. We were still holding hands and I had done nothing to let go or stop her. Truth be told, I was actually enjoying it and I didn’t want it to stop. Before I knew it, we were leaning towards each other. 

There was another knock on my door and I shot up from my bed.

“Golden, it’s time to get up,” Octavia said from the other side of the door.

I looked over to the other side of the bed. It looked untouched. It was all just a dream. I was glad that it was all in my head. Octavia and I have a special relationship that I would hate to ruin. I would rather have her as a friend than a lover. If that was true then why is my heart racing.

“Come on Golden. I ordered us breakfast and it’s going to be here any minute.”

“I’m up,” I shouted back.

I got out of bed, got dressed, and brushed my teeth. By the time I was done, the food had come. I only wish that I waited on brushing before I ate.

“Good crêpes,” Octavia said about half way through the meal.

“Chef Celery Stalk’s are better. So, what’s the plan for today?”

“We have a few options. We could go to Galaxy Studios or we could get our shopping out of the way. I heard that there are some amazing museums in downtown Applewood. Oh, the Trotney Company said that they would pay for us to see a show at the Ponytages. A show called Twisted is playing there.”

“Whatever you want to do. It’s you’re week, you’re the star.”

“You know this is nice. Just us enjoying each other’s company.”

“I like it too. It’s very peaceful.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Vinyl and I have been talking and we want to get our own place after High School. We have money between us to find a nice apartment, but it has three rooms and you know I hate it when things go to waste. I was hoping that you would move in with us. I understand if you don’t want to. I mean, you’re living in a beautiful castle and who would want to give that up? Plus there’s-”

“I would love to,” I said before she could say anything else.

“Thanks. We should probably get going.”

The rest of the week was so much fun. It would always start with Octavia waking me up and telling me that she ordered my breakfast. She always knew what I liked, but I would always tell her that Chef Celery Stalk made it better. We made it through her list of things to do in Applewood, and we enjoyed all of it. It didn’t matter if we were at the Galaxy Studios Theme Park, shopping for gifts to bring to our friends and families, or seeing Twisted, we had fun. We ate at a five star restaurant. I couldn’t lie to her this time, the food was a real competition for Chef Celery Stalk. We would then head back to the hotel and watch a movie. There was something unique about Thursday night.

I didn’t know if she felt it too. In fact, I’m almost positive that she didn’t because she was sleeping, but I felt something between us. She fell asleep while we were watching Love Really with her head in my lap. This wasn’t a new thing. Even when we had movie nights with our friends, she would rest her head on me. I would pet her head out of a need for my hands to do something and this time was no different. I brushed a strand of her mane that didn’t fall when she turned from her side to her back. Watching her sleep, there was something incredibly peaceful about her sleeping. You could just watch her and all of your problems will melt away and you will feel like they never existed. There was this venerable state about her when she slept and she trusted me to support her and…oh my god, I’m falling for her.

I can’t, I just can’t. She’s too good of a friend and she doesn’t like me that way. I don’t want to lose her, and my relationship record says that I will. I’ll just cheat on her or say that I’m not the one for her. After that, we can never go back to just being friends. At the same time, something just feels right. I suddenly heard Vinyl’s voice in my head.

She’s playing a bigger game and she wins when she can call you hers.

That’s all this is. She probably didn’t expect it to be just us here, but she took advantage of it. I just had to keep reminding myself of that. That’s what she wants. She wants us to be together, but we can’t.

I decided to call it a day and go to bed. I carried Octavia to her room and put her under the covers. There was something screaming in me saying get in the bed with her, but I had to remember that it was just a part of her plan. I walked over to my room and went to bed.

Octavia didn’t wake me up the next day. I found a note in the living room saying that she had to go to the concert hall and practice for tomorrow. She told me to enjoy myself today and she would meet me for dinner. I thought about what I could possibly do today and then I remember something. Star Darling lives in Applewood and I have her address from a letter she sent. Why not spend the day with her? It would at least get my mind off of Octavia.

I went to the lobby and asked the pony working behind the desk to get me a taxi. I eventually made it to Star’s house. I was a little nervous. I haven’t seen her since that whole fiasco and we left off on great terms. I walked up to her door and knocked. I heard a pony come down a set of stairs and open the door.

“Prince Golden,” Star said as she opened the door.

“Surprise.” She started to smile and then hugged me.

“What are you doing here?”

“Octavia is playing at the Trotney Concert Hall. I came down here to support her.”

“So, shouldn’t you be spending time with her? I mean, it’s not like I’m glad that you’re here.”

“She’s busy practicing today, so I thought that I would spend the day with you.”

“For sure, just let me do something.”

I waited outside until she came back with a jacket. She decided to show me around Applewood Boulevard. We watched some street performers and tried to avoid the crazy ones. After, we walked down the Fame Walk and tried to find our favorite celebrities. After, we went to an ice cream parlor owned by, who else, the Trotney Company. She said she wanted to take me here for a surprise. After a little while of waiting, Ruby and Sapphire showed up.

“We thought you were joking,” Ruby said with a smile.

“We weren’t going to show up,” Sapphire said. 

“Here I am.”

“And we have one more surprise for you.”

“Hi Golden,” Lavender said. I stood up to hug the three of them and I ordered them their own ice cream. This was exactly what I needed to get my mind off of Octavia.

We started to catch up with each other. It turns out that they’ve been living in Applewood together all their lives, but went to different schools. Ruby and Sapphire ran into Star here and then Lavender only recently. The four of them have become great friends.

“So, we were standing there,” Sapphire started to say.

“There was a colt calling her Ruby,” Ruby picked up.

“And another colt calling her Ruby,”

“And then they said at the same time ‘Who slipped what into my drink?’” They said together.

“Looks like I haven’t missed anything.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Lavender said.

“Shut up, Vyxsin,” Star said.

“Well I think somepony should tell him.”

“Tell me what?”

“Well we’re not afraid,” Sapphire said.

“We found somepony,” Ruby said. “Well, Someponies. We met another set of identical twins and we really hit it off.”

“We can still be friends, right?”

“Yeah, no problem. Is it fair to guess that you two have coltfriends?”

“He’s a real nice guy,” Star said. “You should meet him. I think the two of you would get along.”

“Well not me. I’m saving myself for somepony special,” Lavender said while giving me a saucy wink.

“Please,” Ruby said, “We all know you were going to pick her. Why don’t you two screw and get it over with.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Lavender said.

This couldn’t be more perfect. I just need one truly romantic kiss with her and then I’ll be done with Octavia.

We spent a little more time at the parlor before walking around a bit more. Ruby, Sapphire, and Star had to leave when it go late, but Lavender had made plans to stay with me as long as I like. I invited her to dinner. I wasn’t sure how Octavia would react when she saw her, but I didn’t care. All I really cared about was us staying friends.

Dinner that night was just a casual dinner in Galaxy Studios Town Walk. When we arrived, the maitre d' told us that Octavia sent a message saying that practice is running long and she would not be able to make it. Perfect. The two of us had fun by ourselves, even doing a little more shopping. After we went back to the hotel to watch a movie. We watched a movie called Jenny Hall. She was using my arm as a head rest which I didn’t mind.

“I love this,” she said about a third of the way through the movie.

“Me too.”

“How often did you think about me? I thought of you all the time.”

“Everyday.”

“Is everything alright? You seem distracted.”

“I’ve been thinking about something.”

“Care to share?”

“It’s nothing. Just this.”

I sat her up and turned her towards me. We looked at each other and started to lean in. Our lips were so close that I could feel her breath. I could smell her perfume and it was alluring. The only problem is that I couldn’t go any further. 

“I’m sorry. I just can’t.”

“I knew it.” She got up and started to make her way to the elevator. The weird thing was that she didn’t seem mad or upset. If anything, she seems happy for me. “I hope you two are happy together.”

Just then the elevators doors opened.

“Oh,” Octavia said as she was surprised to see Lavender, “Lavender. It’s great to see you. What are you doing here?”

“Just seeing a friend.” She got in the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor. “Good luck tomorrow.”

Soon she was gone and I knew that there was no fighting it. Jenny Hall was one of Octavia’s favorite movies, so we restarted it. She laid her head in my lap and I started to pet her head, as usual. We went to our separate rooms after the movie ended. I was starting to kick myself for not trying anything, but I started to get the idea that maybe she didn’t like me and just really trusted me. For god sake, we’ve been alone together for six nights and nothing.

I was about to fall asleep when there was a knock on my door. I jumped out of bed to answer it, knowing that Octavia was on the other side. 

“I’m too nervous about tomorrow,” she said the second I opened the door. “Well that and I’m homesick. Can I please sleep with you? I don’t mean sleep with you, sleep with you. I mean can we share a bed, but not like that I mean…Can you please say ‘yes’ before I embarrass myself even more?”

“Of course.”

She got into one side of the bed and I got into the other. I didn’t try to stay away from her this time. It didn’t take long for her to grab my hand and interlock our fingers. I didn’t question it, I just fell asleep with a smile on my face.
> Chapter 21: Senior (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up first the next morning and found myself cuddled up next to her. I was holding her like how Celestia held me when I was young. I finally understood why she enjoyed it so much. There was something amazing about holding somepony that means so much to you. 

“I wouldn’t mind waking up to this every day,” Octavia said as she woke up. She grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers again. “Does that mean we’re…”

“I think we should talk about it.”

“Okay,” She said as we sat up and faced each other. “Do you like me?”

“Yeah,” I said with a smile.

“And I like you. So, what’s holding us back this time?”

“What do you mean ‘this time’?”

“Well first it was us wanting to be friends and then there was Angel and then Lavender and then you wanting to be single.”

“Exactly how long have you had a crush on me?”

“Since you dipped me at our Freshmen Homecoming Dance. I was kicking myself after we agreed to just be friends. It may have just seeing you in the moonlight, but I realized that there was something special about you. Back to my question. What’s holding us back?”

“Alright, here’s the truth. I’m afraid. I’m afraid that I might do something to screw up our relationship and then I’ll hurt you. That’s what I’m really afraid of. I don’t want to hurt you because you mean so much to me.”

“How much do I mean to you?”

“My mom wanted me to stay and do some diplomatic stuff with her and Cadence. I had to beg her to let me come. I tried telling myself that I was doing it so you could have at least one friend here for you.”

“Can I ask how long you’ve liked me?”

“I like to think that I’ve always had some feelings for you since I first met you. Even when I was with Angel, you were always in the back of my mind.”

“So in all that time, how many times have you hurt me?”

“My being with Angel might have done some emotional stuff to you. And there was the time at the café when I held your wrist too tight.”

“In the twelve years we’ve known each other, you believe that you’ve only hurt me twice. If we started dating why would that change?”

“I don’t know, but I’m still scared that I’m going to do to you what I did to Angel. I don’t want to lose you.”

Octavia grabbed my hands and looked me in the eye. She had a warm smile, something that told me that I wasn’t going to mess this up and that I should at least try. We had a connection and we both knew what was going to happen next.

We leaned into towards each other and kissed. This kiss was like no other. There was this spark between us that wasn’t there with any other mare. There was something special about her, about all of this, that made me love her even more. When we withdrew, Octavia was blushing. It was her first kiss. I smiled and caressed her face. She smiled back as her blush began to fade. Without warning. Everything began to meld into one moment after that. It was a mixture of cuddling, kissing, and flirting. Unfortunately, it had to come to an end.

She told me that she had to do one more practice before the show tonight. She told me that she couldn’t wait to see me there and was looking forward to playing for me. I decided to get a surprise ready for her after the show. It took all day, but I think she’s going to love it.

I spent some time getting ready for her show. I wore a suit with a tie that matched her eyes. Unfortunately, Octavia had the chauffer, so I had to walk there. Luckily, the concert hall wasn’t too far from the hotel and there was a nice breeze to stop me from sweating.

There were ponies for almost every walk of life in Applewood. Celebrities, government officials, ponies with a lot of money, and just some ponies who were lucky enough to get a ticket. I did a bit of socializing before the show started. I was seated next to one of the lead actors in Brawl Club and the female lead in The Starving Games. The lights dimmed and Octavia took the stage. I wasn’t sure if she saw me out there, but she smiled before she started to play. There was something that made this concert even better than all her other. I couldn’t be sure, but I think I had something to do with it. Her songs switched between sad and slow to upbeat and happy. 

When the show was over, I made my way backstage with a bouquet of flowers I had the chauffer get during the show. There was a line of colts outside her changing room. Most of them were younger than me and a few of them looked a little too edger. I went to the front of the line and tried to knock on her door, but the colt in the front grabbed my arm.

“Back of the line, buddy,” He said. “Besides she’s not opening up for anypony.”

I rolled my eyes and did a knock that sounded like Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, my favorite classical song. She opened the door, pulled me inside, and locked the door behind me. She threw her arms around me and rested her head on my chest. I hugged her back and kissed her head through her hair.

“You were amazing,” I said when we let go. I presented her the flowers, which she took and them put on the table after taking a big whiff.

“Thanks,” She said as she blushed. “I’m just glad that we’re trapped in here together. If I go out there, then it would be like moths to a light.”

“I have an idea that might work.”

“Anything if it means that we’re not trapped in here.”

“Okay.” I took off my jacket and covered her with it. I then thought hard about the lobby. I tried to remember every little detail as I readied a teleport spell. The spell won’t work if there was a pony where I want to teleport, so I had to try every single spot. To my surprise, I was able to teleport the first place I tired. Ponies were apparently rushed out because the lobby was completely empty. She didn’t need it to hide her identity, but it was cold outside and I told her to keep it. 

Out chauffer was waiting for us and I whispered our destination in his ear: The Applewood Sign. I set up a candle lit picnic for us between the O’s.

“This is incredible,” She said as she saw what I did and the view of Applewood. I personally thought that the Canterlot view was better, but to each their own.

“That’s not all,” I said, “You know that whole cliché of yelling at the top of a mountain.”

“Yeah,” She said with a smile.

“Applewood!” I shouted out to the city, “My name is Golden Shield and I love Octavia Melody!”

“And I’m Octavia Melody and I love Golden Shield!”

We looked at each other, smiled, and kissed. After we went back to the hotel and watched a romantic movie. We enjoyed every moment of it and wished that it could have never ended. We again shared a bed.

I think I woke up first the next morning, but we both just stayed where we were. I was just holding her and she was enjoying it. We were forced to get up when we heard a knock on the door.

“Miss Melody,” a bag boy said from the other side of the door. “I’m here to get your bags, are you decent?”

“Give me a moment, please.” 

“I’ll leave you alone,” I said.

It didn’t take long for us to pack our bags and check out. We boarded the train car, which was the same as the one we arrived in. We tried lying on the couch together, but we quickly realized that it wasn’t big enough for the both of us. We decided to sit across from each other. I was able to convince her by telling her that I wanted to be reminded how beautiful she was. 

“So what do you think our friends will say when we tell them about us?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure we won’t like it.”

“Maybe not all of them. I’m sure Cadence would love the idea. Shining and Spitfire probably wouldn’t care, but they’ll be happy for us. And then there’s Vinyl. If anypony doesn’t want us together, it’s her.”

“You know what? I don’t really care. I love you and that’s all I need to know.”

“Well there is one other option.”

“What’s that?”

“We can sneak around. We don’t necessarily have to tell anypony anything. And who is it really hurting?”

“It just feels dishonest.”

“To be fair, we’re not lying to them. We’re just not telling them the whole story. But I see what you mean. Cadence and Shining didn’t hide their relationship from us. On the other hand, it could be what’s best for us. Vinyl will probably keep us apart.”

We talked for a little longer and decided to keep it a secret for a little while. We were really going to see how our friends would react when they found out.

We divided our time between reading, sleeping, and talking. When we did reach Canterlot, our friends and families were there to greet us. We hugged our friends gave out souvenirs to their respective recipients. It was still somewhat early in the evening and our parents let us hang out with our friends. We told them about how much fun we had while leaving out how much fun we really had. They seemed to have bought it.

As the day began to end and we went our separate for the evening, Vinyl pulled me aside.

“Hey, you and Octavia didn’t hook up, did you?”

“Why?”

“Because you two aren’t right for each other. She deserves the best pony in Equestria.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

“Sorry Golden, but you’re far from perfect, especially when it comes to relationship. Even when you’re all caring and loving, you still find a way to screw it up.”

“Maybe that’s because I haven’t found the right pony.”

“And you think that’s Octavia?”

“I’m not ruling it out.”

“Please Golden, whatever you do, do not get with Octavia.”

“Why do you care so much?”

“Because she’s all I have. I can’t get a colt to even like me, my parents barley know me, and sometimes I feel that you guys leave me out. Octavia is the only one that makes sure that I’m okay and will stay behind if she has to. If you two started dating and it ended on bad terms, then I’ll have to lose one of you. And what if you two do work out? Then sooner or later the two of you will push me out of your lives. And then I don’t know what I would do with myself.”

She was openly crying at this point and repeating “I don’t know what I would do with myself”. 

“Vinyl,” I said as I hugged her, “You don’t have to worry about any of that. If it didn’t work out and then it wouldn’t end on bad terms. We’re too good of friends to let that happen. And if it did work out, then I would still want you to be a major part of both of our lives.”

“I don’t want to lose her,” She said crying harder and hugging me back. She kept repeating this through her sobs. I started to rub her back and tell her that she never will.

“Are you okay?” I said when she calmed down.

“I will be,” She said after a few sniffles. “Can you promise that? Can you promise that I’ll never lose her?”

“I would die before I let anything happen to any of my friends. Now I need something from you. If I do think that she’s the one for me, can you please give me your permission to date Octavia? I know that it would mean a lot to the both of us.”

“Okay. If, and only if, you think that you’re going to spend the rest of your lives together, you can date her.”

I walked her back to her house, making sure that it didn’t look like she was crying. It was a rare moment for her to open up to anypony besides Octavia. She had really only done it one other time and that was during Freshmen Homecoming and even then that was to me.

I decided to skip out on dinner that night and just make myself something in the personal kitchen. My friends and I have been going to the dinners less and less. It was because we saw how excited ponies were to attend that night’s dinner and we figured that we took it for granted. We agreed that we would only attend the dinner on special occasions. While it mine and Octavia’s return could be a special occasion, we decided not to go.

“Hey,” Cadence said as she poked her head into my room. “So how was it?”

“It was fun. Octavia out did herself, the hotel was nice, everything was fun.”

“Did you hook up with anypony?” She said mockingly. I didn’t respond immediately, which was all she needed. “Wait, I was kidding. You and Octavia actually got together? How far did you two go?”

“You know, Lavender, Star, Ruby, and Sapphire live in Applewood. I could have just as easily thought of them.”

“Could have, but you didn’t. Tell me. I told you about me and Shining.”

“Shining told me about you and Shining. Seriously, tell him to breathe through his mouth or something.”

“Very funny. Please, you don’t have to go into detail. Did you at least kiss her?”

“I kissed her.”

“Oh my god! I knew you would. I just have one question: Do you love her? Because you know what I think.”

“Head over hooves. You saw how much I had to beg my mom to let me go. Do you think I would just do that for anypony?”

“Well then, you two are going to be very happy together.”

Cadence and I talked a little longer after that. It was mainly about our plans after high school. I told her about moving in with Octavia and Vinyl and she told me that she planned to stay in the castle for the time being.

I had plans to talk to Shining the next day, but he conveniently got sick that day. Cadence decided to play nurse for him, praying that it didn’t go too far/ As for Spitfire didn’t come back until tonight. Which left me, Octavia, and Vinyl.

Although she had given me her blessing, Vinyl still tried to keep us apart. We decided not to tell her yet, which made it even more hilarious when she would hit me in the back of the head when Octavia and I would even look at each other. For some reason, Octavia was uncomfortable with us bugging Vinyl and Vinyl trying to keep us apart. It had come to the point where Octavia asked to speak with Vinyl in private. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it looked like they were arguing. It finally ended with Vinyl shrugging her shoulders and Octavia hugging her. When they came back, Octavia threw her arms around me and planted a firm kiss on my cheek.

“What did I just say?” Vinyl said. “No lovey-dovey stuff around me. Just because I gave you permission to date, doesn’t mean I want to see it.”

“I’m sorry, Vinyl, but I’m just so excited,” Octavia said. “Besides, it’s not like I didn’t give you anything in return.”

“What did you do?”

“Do you want me to tell him or should you, Tavi?” Vinyl said with an evil grin.

“How long?”

“For the rest of your lives.” Vinyl was proud of herself.

“Seriously Vinyl? You know-”

“It’s okay, Golden,” Octavia said as she grabbed my hand. “If you really want to help, then call me ‘Octy’.”

“Octy?” I asked.

“Yeah. I think it’s cute.”

“Wait, I want Octy. He can have Tavi.”

“Sorry Vinyl. The deal was you could call me Tavi all you want if I could date Golden.”

We hung out until nightfall. I walked Octavia home and ended the night with a kiss. I was happy that Cadence and Vinyl were fine with me dating Octavia. Not only that, but I knew that Shining and Spitfire were going to be alright with it. I didn’t even care that I had to go to school the next day.

Everything started out the same. I got up, took a shower, got dressed, had breakfast, and Cadence and I walked to school. We were considering picking up Octavia and Shining, who Cadence admitted to using some magic to heal him. I told her that Octavia and I wanted to full support of our friends before we started showing off. Cadence didn’t think that was healthy, but she had to live with our choice. 

I didn’t get the chance to talk to Shining until second period, but it was still early in the morning.

“You look like a million bucks,” I said to him as he sat in the desk next to me.

“Cadence is a miracle worker. I need to talk to you about something. Cadence said that you’re looking to go back on the market.”

“Maybe,”

“And one of the names she tossed out was Octavia.”

“Your point?”

“I don’t think you should go out with her.”

“What?”

“You two don’t seem like you would go well together. Look at you. You’re athletic future guard who is well read. She’s a quick whited cello player with high ambitions. The only thing you two have in common is that you both like to annoy Vinyl. What part of the two of you work?”

“Well what about you and Cadence work? You are way too laid back and she’s a princess.”

“We work because we love each other. That’s all we need.”

“And you don’t think that I could love Octavia?”

“I think that you could become infatuated with her, maybe it could end up being something more. The problem is there is a chance that it might not and then what? You and Octavia would probably talk less and less until you two are nothing. And if you don’t believe that, then how much have you talked to Lavender in the past year?”

“Okay, maybe I have been writing to Lavender less, but that doesn’t mean that I would stop talking to Octavia.”

“Whatever man, just at least think about it before you do anything you might regret.”

My plan was to ignore Shining. He doesn’t really know what he’s talking about, nor does he have the right. When he started Cadence, there were plenty of ponies who thought that they would never make it. Whatever.

I didn’t get a chance to talk to Octavia alone. Vinyl needed tutoring and Octavia was the one that could help her. I tried talking to her during fourth period, but it felt a little weird talking about this in front of Angel. At least I get to talk to Spitfire.

“You alright?” She asked after practice. “You were a bit off today.”

“I need to talk to you about something. How would you feel if I started dating Octavia?”

“I guess you two could make a cute couple. Of course that means that Shining and Cadence would have to break up. Can’t have two couples in the group. Were you thinking of asking her out?”

“Maybe.”

“Well I would hurry. I saw Concerto getting friendly with her. They’re going to hang out after school today.”

I hated Concerto more than I hated Blueblood, but that’s because I don’t see Blueblood every day. He was such an elitist that it bugged me to no end. He won’t even talk to underclassmen because he thinks he is above them. He tried being friends with us once, but that was just so he could say that he was friends with a prince and a princess. Now I hate him even more.

“When was this?”

“Last class. If I knew that you liked her, I would have said something.”

I didn’t need anything else. I rushed to the locker room and changed into my street clothes as fast as I could. The final bell rang as I left, so I quickly made my way to the front of the school. Everything seemed to have gone wrong that day. Every mare that I came across decided to stop me and try to flirt. Then there was Mr. Fallacy, who was the anti-Mrs. Steinbeck. He stopped me to make some argument that didn’t really hold up. At least that’s what I assumed what he said because I pushed past him. I barley heard some rant about how kids these days are always in a hurry. 

Unfortunately, I was too late. By the time I reached the front of the school, Octavia was already walking off with Concerto. He tried to put his arm around her, but she would just knock it off. I was happy that she would at least try to stop him, that was until she didn’t. The last I saw, he put his arm around her and she didn’t even try to knock it off.

“Hey,” Cadence said as I stared off into the distance. I looked over and the rest of my friends were with her. “What’s wrong?”

“Octavia and Concerto.”

“Wait, I thought you two were dating?” Cadence asked.

“Hang on,” Shining said, “you asked her out even after what I said?”

“What did you say?”

“I don’t think that they should be together. What about them works?”

“Thank you!” Vinyl said.

“How were we supposed to work?”

“Besides, they could be made for each other. You should at least give them a chance.”

My friends starting arguing about me and Octavia. I just walked away. There were bigger things to worry about. I wasn’t really sure what to do. I planned to spend as much time as possible with Octavia, but seeing as how Concerto decided to take that time away from me, I didn’t know what to do. I walked around Canterlot just looking for something. Somehow, I ended up in front of Octavia’s house. She eventually showed up with Concerto.

“Golden,” Octavia said as she saw me and gave me a hug, “what are you doing here?”

“I was looking for you. I thought we were going to hang out after school.”

“Sorry, but Concerto wanted to talk and we lost track of time.”

“Well do you mind if I tag along with you two?”

“You know I don’t. What about you, Concerto?”

“I would love it if a prince joined our conversation.”

“Fantastic,” Octavia said as she walked past me and approached her door. “I just need to check in with my parents. I’ll be right back.”

“Amazing mare, isn’t she?” Concerto asked when the door closed.

“She sure is.”

“How long have you two known each other?”

“Since first grade.”

“So you would know if she likes surprises. I was thinking about asking her to prom and I wanted to know if she liked to be surprised. Also, would she prefer a big flashy performance or something simpler?”

“Prom isn’t for another two months.”

“I know, but I like to plan everything. Got to keep the reputation up and I can’t just give some lame ‘will you go to prom with me’ thing.”

“I wouldn’t if I were you. I hear she has eyes for somepony.”

“Who? Who could it possibly be if it’s not me? She only hangs around two colts and Shining Armor is with Mi Amore Cadenza and you… Oh. I get it now. It seems that the prince has a little crush. I do admire you’re taste in mares, after that common pegasus, but I’m afraid that she is spoken for.”

“By who?”

“Who do you think? There’s only one stallion that is good enough for a mare like Octavia Melody. A stallion so elegant and cultured.”

“You’re talking about yourself, aren’t you?”

“Well, I wasn’t walking about you.”

“Alright, I’m only going to tell you this because I don’t want her to break your heart. Octavia is playing a bigger game and she doesn’t quit until she wins. If she wanted you then she would have gone for you.”

“Want to make a wager?”

“What?”

“In two months we will both ask Octavia to prom. We’ll let her decide which one of us she wants. The other one cannot say anything about the new relationship.”

“No, Octavia isn’t some trophy for us to show off.”

“Of course not. We’re letting her decided who she wants. Do we have a deal?”

“No.”

“Fine, but I am going to ask Octavia to prom and she will say yes to me. I guarantee it.”

Concerto gave me a disgusted look and walked away. I wasn’t sure what he was planning, but I knew that I didn’t have anything to worry about. Octavia came back out shortly after she left. I told her that Concerto had to leave and she invited me for dinner.

We decided not to hide our relationship from Octavia’s parents. They were surprisingly supportive of us. They said that Octavia has never been happier and they thanked me for that. It also helped that they completely trusted me. They told me that I could date her as long as I wanted, but her dad would kill me if I broke her heart. 

Her parents eventually left us alone. We started talking about us and what we were going to tell everypony. I told her what Shining said to me and we thought it would be best if we eased our friends into the whole thing. We would start with playful flirting, like we did to annoy Vinyl, then we would do it when Vinyl isn’t around. By then we hope that Shining would be on our side and we didn’t have to hide it.

It was late when I left. I figured that my mom wouldn’t care because she knew that I was responsible. Unfortunately I was wrong. She was waiting for me outside the castle, still in her dinner dress.

“Where were you?” She said with some anger.

“I was just at Octavia’s house?”

“Without telling me? Do you know how late it is, Golden?”

“I know. I’m sorry we lost track of time.”

“You could have at least told me or Cadence. You know, I was fine when you decided to stop coming to the dinners, but I still want you in the castle. What would have happened if somepony attacked you?”

“I’m not a little foal anymore, mom. I’m 18 and I can take care of myself.”

There was a moment of silence between us. I realized what I said and thought how it was basically me telling her that I didn’t need her anymore. She took in a deep breath and crossed her arms.

“I know Golden. When I was your age, I started to really rebel against my parents. I wanted to leave my parents and never look back and I’m afraid of losing you. I know I haven’t been the best mother because I’ve had some obligations, so I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to stay away from me. I just want to spend as much time with you as I can.”

“You’re a great mom and that’s never going to change. You’ve always been there for me and had my best interests in mind. Not only that, but you saved me from the Everfree Forest. As far as I’m concerned, that makes you the best mother ever and there is nothing that anypony can say to change that.”

“Thanks Golden, but can you at least be home before dinner?”

“I’ll try.”

“So how do you feel about her?” She asked as we started to walk into the castle.

“Who?”

“Octavia.”

“What makes you think I love her?”

“Because I didn’t say you loved her. Besides I could tell. You were begging to go to Applewood with her. And I know you and when you’re in love.”

“Alright you got me. We’ve been secretly dating since we got back.”

“Have you two…”

“Mom!”

“What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t pry? If you are active then promise me that you’ll be safe.”

“I promise.” We said good night to each other and went to bed.

I decided that I would spend more time with my mom while I could. I spent the next two months learning everything Cadence learned in a week. It was actually exciting watching Celestia work, but it wasn’t my line of work. I’m more in favor of joining the royal guard. It just feels right. I get a rush from protecting ponies. The only bad thing was that I wasn’t spending time with Octavia.

I spent as much time with her as I could, but it wasn’t enough. We put our plan into motion, which made it all the more fun. Shining eventually eased into the idea of my and Octavia dating. Unfortunately, whatever time she didn’t spend with me, she spent with Concerto. I asked Spitfire to keep an eye on them, but she could only do so much. 

I was so distracted by working with my mom that I didn’t realize prom was coming up. It wasn’t until Shining asked Cadence in some big flashy way, which happened to be the same day he told me that we has fine with me dating Octavia. 

I spent the rest of the day thinking about what I could possibly do to ask Octavia to prom. I thought of idea after idea, but I didn’t like any of them. Cadence decided to help me, which was really just us spit-balling ideas in my room. 

“What if you used your magic to spell out prom in front of her house at night?”

“No. I don’t even know the spell that lets me form letters in mid-air. Does that spell even exist?”

“Maybe in some old book. What if you got together some ponies together and have them stand in a way that spells out ‘prom’?”

“How am I going to find that many ponies?”

“I’m sure there are plenty of ponies willing to help.”

“Even if I found enough ponies to help, it’s too complex.”

“You just like to poke holes into all of my ideas.”

“It’s not that. Octavia means something special to me and I need to make sure that she knows it. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If everything goes right than it would be the start of something amazing.”

“Alright, if you really like her then lets figure out a way to ask Octavia to prom. You want something simple, but not too simple. Something that says ‘I love you’.”

“You know what, I’m tired. How about we call it…” Just then I realized something. I started to come up with a plan, which Cadence thought was a good idea. It didn’t take much preparation, and with help of the castles limitless resources I was ready to ask her the next day. 

The next day started out as planned, everything going normal. I was so excited to ask her I could barely keep it in. My plan was to ask her during our Advanced Literature class. Mrs. Steinbeck said that she would stop the class just so I could ask her. I could feel myself shaking as the class went on.

“Ladies and Gentlecolts,” Mrs. Steinbeck said as our novel discussion groups started to end, “I’m going to try something new. I want you to come up with a critical thinking question that relates to a theme in your novel. And to show you that I’m serious, I’m going to pick two students at random and they have to come up with a question on the spot. Let’s go with Golden and Octavia.”

Octavia and I stood up and went to the front of the class. We smiled at each other and smiled. I was a little afraid that she figured it out what I was planning, but then I realized that it was impossible.

“Golden, you go first.”

I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves. I looked Octavia in the eyes, smiled, and held her hands. She looked confused, but yanked her hands away and covered her mouth when I got down on one knee and pulled out a felt box. I opened it to reveal a ring with ‘Prom?’ magically engraved in it.

“Octy, will you go to prom with me?”

“Of course I will.”

I put the ring on her finger and we hugged. The both of us felt amazing the rest of the day and nothing could bring us down. We walked out of the class with my arm around her. We were stopped when a group of ponies carrying instruments. They started to play a song for us and parted a way about half way through to let Concerto in.

“Octavia Melody, would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to prom?”

“Sorry Concerto, but Golden already asked.” The music came to a grinding halt. The ponies with the instruments started looking at each other and started to leave. Concerto was shocked by the news. I was trying to hold in a grin.

“Fine,” He said after talking in a deep breath, “It looks like you win Octavia, Golden.”

“Excuse me?” Octavia said as she crossed her arms. I took my arm off of her so she could do what she does best. “What do you mean by he ‘won’ me?”

“He didn’t tell you?” He asked with an almost evil grin. “Golden and I made a little wager and you were the prize.”

“You honestly expect me to believe that my friend of twelve years would treat me as some sort of trophy?”

“I don’t expect you to believe it, but it’s true.”

“You know what, I thought that you were a pony that had some of my interests in mind. I thought that maybe you cared about me, but I know that you are nothing but a liar. Golden said that you were nothing but an egocentric elitist. I didn’t want to believe him because you were so nice to me. Now I can see he was right. I’m almost positive that you were interested in me so you could start hanging around Golden and Cadence and increase your own image.”

“No, I was the one-”

“I’m tired of your lies. Just get out of here.” He was completely silent. He took in another deep breath and walked away with his head literary held high.

“I love you so much, Octy,” I said as I hugged her.

Our friends were more or less accepting of our relationship. That day, we went the castles tailor to get fitted for our prom clothes. Celestia surprised us by getting Velvet Gown to make our clothes for us. She took our measurements and told us that they would be ready in a few days.

A few days later, it actually hit me: I was dating Octavia. It didn’t bother me of course. Why would it? We got along great and something about us just clicked. We weren’t even dating for a week and we were already the perfect couple.

Prom came by faster than any of us thought. It was held in Canterlot Square in the center of town this year. As always, we got ready at Octavia’s house. Shining, Soarn’, Vinyl’s date, Brave Boulder, and I were sitting in the guest room waiting for the girls.

“Here you go boys,” Octavia’s mom said as she gave each of us a glass of water. 

“Thanks Mrs. Strings,” we said in unison.

“Does this look familiar, Shining,” I asked

“What’s he talking about?” Brave said.

“The first dance of freshman year, Golden and I were sitting here waiting for the girls to get ready for the first dance of the year. Now, were sitting here waiting for the girls to take them to our last dance.”

“Kindda a full circle moment for you two, isn’t it?” Soarn’ said.

“So, what are your plans after high school?” Brave asked us.

“Spitfire and I were thinking about starting an aerial acrobatics team in Cloudsdale, but that’s still up in the air.”

“Shining and I are joining the royal guard.”

“But you’re a prince. Princes don’t join the royal guard.”

“I’m only a prince by title, nothing more, nothing less. Besides, I like protecting ponies.”

“Whatever. If I was prince, I would be lounging around the castle every day.”

“We’re ready.” Octavia said as she poked her head in the door.

We went downstairs to take prom pictures and walked to the town square. The place was decorated with our school colors. There were a few things for entertainment, but caught everyone’s eye was the dance floor. There was something about it that attracted ponies to it. We were no exception.

We split the time between dancing and talking with other friends. Brave didn’t stay with us. He and Vinyl were only taking each other so they wouldn’t go stag. School was ending soon, so it felt nice talking to some ponies we might not see again.

“Alright everypony,” The DJ said as it got later in the night, “it’s time to grab that special somepony and have that special moment of the night. It’s time to take it slow.”

I led Octavia to the dance floor and we started to slow dance. There was a long moment where she rested her head on my chest. In that moment, it really did feel like we were the only two on the dance floor.

“This is exactly how I imaged it,” Octavia said as she lifted her head. “That night when we agreed to just be friends, I thought of all the different way that could have played out differently. I’ve always thought something like this was the best possible outcome. I can see you’re enjoying it too.”

I looked up and to find my horn glowing. I’ve learned not to be ashamed of it, as it only means that I love the pony I’m with. At the same time, however, I was envious of earth ponies. They never have to deal with a glowing horn or extended wings.

“At least you know I love you, but I think you knew that. I noticed you haven’t taken off the ring.”

“You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not. I gave it to you and I want you to keep it.”

“Golden, I-Ow!”

Octavia was suddenly yanked away from me. Angel was pulling her mane in an effort to pull us apart. I let go of her in hopes that her pain would stop. 

“Stay away from him!” Angel said as she let go of her mane. “Golden, I was an idiot. I still love you.”

“Come with me, Angel.”

I grabbed Angel by the wrist and started to take her away from the dance floor with Octavia following us. I couldn’t believe that Angel would do something like this now. I’ve suspected that she might do something like this for the past few days. She looks at the ring as if it was meant for her. I thought that she might say something before prom, but I guess I was wrong.

“What are you doing?” I asked Angel when we were more secluded place.

“I just couldn’t take it anymore. I still need you because I love you. Octavia doesn’t deserve you.”

“I’m standing right here.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

“You’re right. It’s up to fate and fate is telling me that we’re not done yet. We haven’t even slow danced. I love you and I don’t want to lose you ever again.”

“No, you don’t love me. You’re just like a little foal who put down a toy and is watching another pony play with it. You just want me because you can’t have me. I’m with Octavia now and that’s how it’s going to stay, for a very long time.”

“Really?” They said together.

“Yes. Octavia, when we first started dating, I thought I was going to do something to mess it up. Just being near you, I feel as if we were made for each other.”

Octavia hugged me. That one hug was better than any kiss that I’ve ever gotten. I checked to see if my horn was glowing. I couldn’t even feel a twinge of magic. The whole thing made me know that she was the one.

The rest of the year was enjoyable. Octavia and I got along perfectly. There were a few arguments, but it was nothing we couldn’t talk out. It helped that we had a couple like Shining and Cadence to help us through the tough times. We later found out that Angel and Concerto were working together to try and break us up. The ring, which Octavia never took off, was what reminded us why were together. I was meant to give the ring to the one of the ten mares I loved the most, but Octavia was number eleven and the one that I picked. It reminded us that I picked her out of any mare.

Spitfire and I went on to lead Canterlot High the Equestria’s High School Hoofball Championship. The final game was between us and the team from Hallow Shades High School. Extra Time ended 3-3 leaving in a shoot-out. Both were able to score four points before the final shooters. Their shooter tried tricking our goalie, but he was too quick and caught the ball, Spitfires was the only one that hadn’t shot yet. Ironically, Spitfire was extremely good at slowing down. She took a few steps back and found the perfect spot to aim. She ran forward to kick the ball and the rest was up to fate. The goalie jumped to try and save it, but it barley hit his fingertips letting us win the game. This made Spitfire a local hero, as it was our schools first Hoofball championship win.

Graduation day came about a month after that game. My friends and I spent most of the day getting ready, taking pictures, and talking about the past four years. I realized how I changed in that time. I went from nothing wanting to get in between me and my friends to dating one of them. At the same time, I had gotten closer to each of my friends. I consider Shining and my brother and I would do anything for him. I know Spitfire has my back and I have hers. Cadence is still my best friend and our friendship grows stronger every day. As for Vinyl, I promised that she would be a major part of life and I intended to keep my promise.

The time had finally come for us to graduate. After we put on our caps and gowns, they took the senior class to the Hoofball field. The school had set up a stage for us to receive our diplomas and give an area for ponies to speak. There was a few ceremonial stuff with one surprise.

“We have a special guest to give a speech to our graduating class,” Our principal said. “Please give a round of applause for Princess Celestia.”

Celestia walked onto the stage wearing her favorite dress.

“Graduating class, think back to when you were five. Remind yourself of who you used to be. Whether it was an outgoing pony or one tended to keep to yourself, you have changed. As you continue to grow, you will continue to change. But, one thing will remain the same. It does not matter who you are, where you go, or what you do, these things will never change. You are destined to do great things. Since the third grade, you have each been given a special mark that will tell you your destiny. It could be something as simple as a book to something more complex, each of these represent the one thing you can do better than any other pony. It does not matter what you go onto do, I want you to remember, even the gentlest breeze is significant to some pony. Now, as you leave high school, I beg you not to ignore your destiny and continue to be the amazing ponies that you are today.”

They started handing out diplomas afterwards, which was one of my proudest moments. Time stopped as I shook our principal’s hand. It was a life changing moment. In that moment, I stopped feeling like a kid and grew up. It was something that I’ll never forget.

Afterwards, we spent some time with our parents. Celestia invited Cadence’s parents, who wouldn’t have missed this for the world. I always loved seeing her parents because they were so nice. It makes me wonder how Blueblood got the way he is. Celestia had also invited my grandparents, but only my grandfather showed up.

“I’m so proud of you two,” Cadence’s mom said as she hugged us.

“Mom,” Cadence said while she was blushing, “you’re embarrassing us.”

“Sorry, I’m just so proud of you. And Blueblood is graduating next week. Can you be there, Cadence?”

“Of course.”

“What about you, Golden?” My grandfather asked. “What are you going to do now that you don’t have to go to school? Equestria could use a strong prince and I think you’re just the colt to do it.”

“Sorry grandpa, but that’s not for me. Maybe sometime, but not now.”

“So, I see you’ve given some thought to your future,” Captain Iron Side said.
> Chapter 22: Academy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The summer training session was quickly approaching. We’ve been out of school of about a month and so much has changed. First: Spitfire and Soarn’ moved to Cloudsdale. They decided to try and make the team that Soarn’ was talking about. We wanted them to stay and find some ponies here to join them, but there is a lack of pegasi, or at least a lack of talented pegasi.

Octavia, Vinyl, and I officially moved into an apartment. It took some time to convince my mom to let me move out. I’m thankful my grandfather was there because he was the one that hammered in the final nail. She didn’t take it easy though. I had to attend every dinner and she tried her hardest to make sure that I don’t leave.

I feel a little bad. Vinyl and Octavia split the down payment and I’m skipping out on the next two months of rent. They said they could handle it, with Vinyl finding work at parties and other social events and Octavia still set from her Applewood performance. I promised them to pay the two months after I get back from Royal Guard Training. To make up for it, I convinced my mom to buy us the furniture we needed. 

Speaking of Octavia, we’re doing great. We’ve been feeling more like a couple, much to Vinyl’s demise. The two of us have been going out on dates, flirting at dinner, and sharing a bed every so often. We did have separate rooms, but we couldn’t resist. We’ve even made love once.

It was the morning of the first day of Royal Guard Training. According to the rules, I have to live on their grounds. That means that this would be the last morning in a while that I get to wake up with Octavia. I wanted to cherish the moment as long as I could. I held her as close to me as I could and tried not to wake her. Something I learned about her is that once she’s awake, she’ll immediately want to move around.

“Morning,” She said after turing towards me, I went in to kiss her, but she pulled away when our lips met. “Golden, you don’t want to kiss me when I have morning breath.”

“I love your morning breath.”

“Liar. I don’t even love my morning breath.”

“I love everything about you.”

“I’m going to miss this,” She said as she got out of my bed. “Are you sure you have to leave today? Couldn’t you wait until the fall?”

“If I’m going to pay my share of the rent, then I have to get a job. Plus, royal guards get paid well. If I start working now, I can take you on more dates.”

“I don’t need more dates. We could spend nights here, making dinner and reading to each other.”

“Sorry, Octy. I have to do this. It’s my destiny.”

“Okay, but at least let me make you breakfast.”

Since we moved in together, Octavia has become somewhat of a care taker. She does most of the cooking and cleaning around the apartment. We ask her all the time if she needs help, but she tells us to relax. If we want to surprise her, we’ll do her chores, but I really have to twist Vinyl’s arm to even make a sandwich for her. Nevertheless, Octavia could always do it better. 

“I’m going to miss this,” I said as I took a bite of a waffle.

“Glad you like them.”

“What smells so good?” Vinyl asked as she came out of her room.

“Octy made breakfast before I left.”

“The academy starts today? Finally I get some sleep without listening to you two rutting like monkeys.”

“That was one time,” Octavia said. “And for the record, we weren’t that loud.”

“You weren’t on the other side of the wall. So, are you going to miss your snuggle buddy, Tavi?”

“You’re just jealous because that colt form a week ago hasn’t stopped by.”

“There’s a reason for that. What about you? Are you going to miss your ‘Octy’?”

“I’m going to be surrounded by colts 24/7. What do you think?”

“I think you’ll be in paradise. Anyway, I’ve been meaning to talk to you two about something. Since Golden is skipping out on the rent and Tavi is spending most of her nights in Golden’s room, why don’t we get a new roommate?”

“What?” I asked.

“Well, Tavi would move into your room and we would have a fourth pony to help us with stuff like rent and bills.”

“Did you have a pony in mind?”

“No, but we can put an ad in the newspaper and we’ll ponies lining up.”

“What do you think, Golden?”

“I’m not going to be here for the next two months. Whatever you two decide, is fine.”

“Please Tavi.”

“You just want some pony on your side when we’re making decisions.”

“That’s an unintended perk. Please Tavi.”

“Fine, but we’re going to interview ponies until we find one that we both like.”

The three of us talked a little longer. Afterwards, I packed a small bag for when I’m on leave and put on the uniform they gave me. 

This whole thing seemed like a dream come true. Ever since I saved Cadence from that run-away cart, I dreamt of joining the royal guard. Everything I’ve done to protect my friends, from pushing that creep of a colt against the lockers senior year to just telling that colt to back off freshmen year, has gotten me excited for this day.

Octavia and Vinyl walked with me to the castle. I didn’t have much in my bag. Just a few pairs of pajamas and some clothes for leave, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to need it.

“Are you sure you can’t wait until fall training?” Octavia asked me.

“Let him go, Tavi. If he waits now, then who’s to say he won’t wait again?”

“You’re just saying that so you can start spending his guard money.”

“I have to do this Octy. You know it’s my dream to join the royal guard.”

“I know, but I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too.”

“Ladies,” Princess Celestia said as we approached the castle, “I’ll take it from here.” Celestia has a very serious look on her face. It was a look I haven’t ever seen, something that just screamed authority.

“Good luck, Golden,” Vinyl said as she patted me on the back.

“I’ll write to you as often as I can,” Octavia said. She gave me a kiss on the cheek and the girls walked off.

Celestia didn’t do anything until she was sure that the girls were out of sight. She studied me, making sure that everything was perfect. When she finished, she smiled and hugged me.

“I’m so proud of you,” She said as I hugged back. “After these two months, you’re going to be a stallion.”

“Thanks, mom,” I said as we let go.

“I want you to know that there is nothing I can do for you. You’re going to be on your own.”

“I know. I’m ready for whatever comes my way.”

“Good. One more thing. Captain Iron Side will not go easy on you. If anything, he’s going to expect more out of you than any other pony there. You can’t give in for a single second. When he sees a single crack, he will jump on you.”

“I’m ready for whatever he has to throw at me.”

“I hope so. I’ll probably see you around. Good luck.”

I walked past Celestia and made my way to the training area. It was a little weird walking down the castle halls. There was this strange feeling of knowing where to go, but being lost at the same time. Ironically, there were a few ponies that were lost, but I helped them.

Finally being able step on the training grounds as a future member of the royal guard. There was an obvious division between the guards and military.

There are three main branches of the Royal Guards. First, there are the detectives. These ponies are a little more behind the scenes. Their job is to figure out who committed a crime and bring them to justice. Second, there is the military. Their job is to protect Equestria form any dangers. There has been some argument over the abolishment of this branch, but they have proven themselves to be diplomatic towards the dragons and griffons. Finally, there are the Guards. Their job is to protect Canterlot. They are the first responders to any problem Canterlot has. And today is the day Shining and I join them.

“Line up Guards!” Captain Iron Side shouted. “My god, this is the best we could muster up? It is up me to make sure this sorry group of foals and make you into the best Canterlot has to offer. These next two months will be the longest, most grueling months of your life. You are going sweat from every part of your body. You are going to feel pain in muscles you didn’t even know you had. God damn it, if half of you don’t go crying home to your mamas then I’m not doing my job. Do I make myself clear?"

“Yes Sir!” We said in unison.

I didn’t know what he had planned for us, but I knew one thing was true. This was going to be the longest two months of my life.
> Chapter 23: Training
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Training was unbelievably hard. Most of it was protocol, like standing a certain way or making our bed in the morning. What made the whole thing hard was all the physical training. Day in, day out, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, running miles, sprinting, running the obstacle course. I never really understood why the guards in training were so tired, until now. To make matters worse, leave was canceled due to bad weather conditions.  

Celestia was right, Captain Iron Side was coming down harder on me. I was given more workouts than any other pony and he was way stricter when it came to all that protocol stuff. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. In fairness, he did coach me when I was learning to box. Unfortunately, the other ponies didn’t get that luxury. When we started, we had about 20 ponies trying to become guards. We’re down to 8.

The first pony to drop was Lightning Arc. He was trying to get into training since he got out of high school, but he couldn’t get in until now. He didn’t expect how much Captain Iron side would yell at him and how he had to keep everything in order. He broke shortly after the first week.

His little brother, Little Bolt, also had to drop. Little Bolt went to Star Swirl Academy and was one of their best athletes. Captain Iron Side invited him to this training session.  It was amazing how this little foal could keep up with the rest of us. The kid was fast, strong, and could even beat his older brother in a fight. Many of us like to believe that one of the reasons why Lightning left was because he was being shown up by his brother. Little Bolt left because he wanted to do training with his brother.

Then there’s Tex. Tex was from Dodge Junction and was the only earth pony here. He said that he wanted to become a guard ever since he saw them protect Celestia from a raddle snake. He saved for years just to get a train ticket to come to Canterlot and enrolled in training. He had to leave when he got a letter from his sister saying their dad was sick. Captain Iron Side paid for his ticket back to Dodge Junction and would pay when he wanted to come back.

Speaking of letters, Octavia and I wrote to each other whenever we could. Unfortunately, we could only send and receive mail once a week, but it gave me something to look forward to. I would tell her how hard everything was and how much I would miss her. I told her that I thought about quitting because I missed her so much. She reminded me that I was doing this because it was my destiny and she will always be there for me. Even when we were friends, she always knew how to keep me going.

She told me about everything her and Vinyl did while I was at training. Vinyl wasn’t doing anything new, except for getting a steady DJ-ing at a local night club. Octavia said it paid well, but Vinyl would always come home late at night and wouldn’t wake up until noon. Octavia was offered a few gigs to play at parties or some big venue, but she said that she wouldn’t play without me. I told her that she could play without me, to which she responded with a simple “No I can’t.” She didn’t need me to be great, but she believed that she could be so much better if I was there. Finally, she told me that they found a roommate. Octavia described her as a timid mare who wanted to become a fashion designer.

I felt a little bad for Shining. Cadence never wrote to him and he would only get a drawing from Twilight. During the first week, Cadence tried to watch us from the side lines of the training ground, but Captain Iron Side would always tell her to go away. He said that she would be a distraction for some of the colts. She secretly watched from one of the castle windows. Shining said he didn’t mind that she never wrote because he could feel her love.

It’s the last week of training. All we were really doing was running drills and scenarios.

“’Atta boy!” Captain Iron Side said as I finished the hardest scenario Captain Iron Side has come up with. “Not record time, but it was damn near close.”

“Thank you, sir.” I said while trying to catch my breath. Suddenly, we heard something going on in the castle.

“Mother,” Celestia said, “you cannot interfere with this.”

“Try and stop me Celestia!” My grandmother stormed onto the training grounds. “Golden, grab your things. You are a prince. You are guarded by these ponies, you do not guard others.”

“Mother, you do not decide what’s best for my son.”

“Celestia, you have already broken tradition by not marrying him and now you want me to just sit by as you throw his future away because you want him to be like you.”

“What’s going on?” Captain Iron Side said.

“I’m sorry Captain, but my mother doesn’t believe that Golden should be training to become a guard.”

“Captain, he is a prince and he should start acting like one.”

“It is his destiny to serve as a guard, mother.”

“No offense, Celestia, but you don’t have the best judgment.”

“So you don’t trust me as a princess?”

“You’re a good princess, but take your sister, for example. Do you really think there was a better way to handle that?” Celestia didn’t respond. She looked like she was angry and sad at the same time. I couldn’t figure out why. Celestia never really told me about Luna and the books in the library didn’t help.

“Ma’am,” Captain Iron Side said, “if I may?”

“Yes Captain,” My grandmother said.

“Ma’am, I’ve known this colt since he was brought here. I’ve seen your daughter raise him to the stallion he is today. I can tell you that you daughter has done a hell of a job and I am proud that he decided to be a guard. It means that he feels like he owes something to the ponies of Canterlot and he is willing to do anything to pay them back. Isn’t that what a prince does? He tries to serve the ponies he looks over and this is how Golden Shield is going to do it.”

There was a moment of silence between everypony. Celestia was smiling and my grandmother was thinking it all over.

“Fine,” My grandmother said, “Because a prince must give back to his subjects, Golden may finish his training and become a guard. However, Golden, I want you to promise me that you won’t stop at being a guard. You have the potential to become so much more.”

“I will.” I said as we hugged.

“And Celestia, I’m sorry for being so hard on you your entire life. I just wanted to make sure that you were going to be a good princess. You’re not just a good princess, you’re a great mother.”

The two of them hugged and started crying tears of joy. There was a round of applause from the guards and they walked off.

“Alright boys,” Captain Iron Side said, “tomorrow is the last day of training. I’m going to give you everything I’ve got. Go rest up.”

I started to walk off with the other colts, but then I realized something. I’m not sure why I didn’t see it before, but it was clear as day.

“Captain Iron Side, sir,” I said as I ran back to him.

“Son, you have permission to speak freely.”

“I wanted to thank you.”

“It was nothing, son. I’m sure you would do the same thing if our roles were switched.”

“Not just that. I wanted to say thank you for everything. You know I never knew my real dad, so I thought I had to learn to be a stallion by myself, but I didn’t. You were there all the way through to make sure I wouldn’t mess up. If you weren’t there, I wouldn’t be the stallion I am today.”

Captain Iron Side looked around to make sure no pony was watching. When he was sure there was no pony was around, he hugged me.

“Son,” he said when he let go, “I’ve never been more proud of you then right now.”

“Thanks, Captain.”

“Now, you don’t go telling them what just happened.”

“Of course not, sir.”

“And get ready for tomorrow because I’m going to break you. You’ll be crawling back to your mama by noon.”

“With all due respect sir, you don’t have a chance in hell.”

We saluted each other and went our separate ways. He tried his hardest the next day to try and break all of us. It started with a 5:30 wake-up call. He ran us through warm up and ran us for miles on end. By noon, most of us were way too tired to do anything, but Captain Iron Side didn’t care. This is his last day to torture us and he was making the best of it. He started running us through scenario, starting off with some of his hardest. None of us could even finish the last one, with the exception of me and Shining. About six, he had us running endurance exercises. All the others have dropped out, leaving me, Shining, and a pegasi named Mighty Clash.

“Goddamn it, boys!” Captain Iron Side shouted in my face. “Do you really not have anything better to do besides holding weights? You know these ponies can’t leave until you drop your weights!”

He started walking around us. We knew at this point that he didn’t expect a response. He just wanted to yell at us.

“Why are you here?” he yelled at Mighty.

“To prove myself, sir!” He responded.

“What about you?” He asked Shining.

“To prove my worth to Canterlot, sir!”

“And what about you mama’s boy? Why are you still here?”

“To serve Canterlot, sir!” I said.

Something like this went on for a while. The three of us were prepared to hold the weights as long as we had to. He eventually told us to drop the weights and go get a good night sleep. For the first time during the entire training session, Captain Iron Side let us sleep in, but we became used to getting up early and the latest any of us slept was about 7:30. We lined up near the obstacle course.

“Alright men,” Captain Iron Side said as he walked in front of us, “it’s been a long two months. We started out with 20 of the most fit colts in Equestria and now we’re down to 8 stallions. I’ve pushed you to your limits and what did you do? You shattered those limits. You have proven yourself to not only to me, but to all of Equestria. Now, I know that this isn’t as fancy as your high school graduation, but it’s just as important.

“Being a guard is more than just a career or title. See the men around you? These men are your family. You have to trust these men as much as you trust yourself and in return they will protect you. Today, you stop being just a rag-tag group of ponies who want to work in the same place. Today, you are a family. With the power given to me by Princess Celestia, I now give all of you the title of royal guard. Now men, your first week of duty starts next week. For now, go home, see your families and have some fun, but remember you guys are guards now. You are dismissed.”

We went back to pack our things and then our separate ways. Shining didn’t have to go far. While he did want to see his parents and little sister, all he wanted was Cadence. As for me, there was only one mare on my mind.

I walked back to the apartment, excited to see Octavia. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Just a minute,” Octavia said from the other side of the door. I almost forgot how much I missed her until I heard her voice.

“Vinyl, can you get it?” She said after a little while.

“Coco!” Vinyl shouted. “COCO!”

“She’s out getting fabrics.”

“Can you wait like five minutes?” Vinyl shouted at me.

“I can’t believe you, Vinyl,” Octavia said. Her voice was getting louder as she started to approach the door. “I’m sorry for my…Golden!” Octavia threw arms around me and I hugged her back.

“I missed you too,” I said.

“Look whatever you’re selling, we’re not…Golden! What’s up man?”

Octavia didn’t want to leave my side for the rest of the day. We spent most of the time catching me up. Our new roommate, Coco Pommel. The letters were right, she was extremely timid, but she opened up to me. She had dreams of Manehattan where she wanted to see her dress in a shop window.

Vinyl wanted us to see her set at her club, but I was way too tired from training. I just wanted to stay at home and just enjoy my time with Octavia. Coco and Vinyl decided to leave us alone for the night. Vinyl didn’t have a choice, as she had to work, weather we went to the club or not, and Coco said that she was going to hang out with some friends for a while. 

Octavia decided to play me one of her famous private concerts. She played all of our favorite songs and a few new ones that she composed. After, we went to bed and just cuddled. Everything was going perfectly. I had my dream job, my dream girl, and living on my own with a few of my friends. I could really get used to this life.
> Chapter 24: Summer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Life as a guard wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. The first year, all they really had to do was stand around and decide if someone gets past you. Captain Iron Side promoted me as quick as he could. It wasn’t because of favoritism or anything. He, along with the other guards, said I was the best out of all the first years. I was promoted to a first responder after two years of serving. First responders are the ponies there to either stop crimes or get the area ready for detectives. I was again promoted after another four years to a personal guard. My new position was a combination of the other two with a few extra duties and a few more days off. 

My main duty is to be on call whenever a princess or a guest needed me. While Celestia was somewhat responsible with this power, Cadence abused it a little. She would usually call me when she wanted to hang out, but I was bound by duty and it really wasn’t allowed to act the way I usually would.

This time, Cadence asked me to guard her room while she tried on dresses for the Summer Sun Celebration. She said that she was afraid of somepony teleporting in and raping her, which was almost completely impossible because the teleportation spell requires the pony knowing the location like the back of their hand. It also helped that she moved to a bigger room since graduation. But she asked for a guard, so I have to protect.

“What about this one?” Cadence asked as she stepped out from behind a room divider, showing off a green, single-strapped dress.

“That one looks fine, princess,” I said.

“Golden, you’ve said that about every dress. Say something else.”

“I must remind you, again. I am on duty and am forbidden to give my personal opinion.” Cadence looked depressed, like she wanted to hear something, but no pony was telling her. “But if I wasn’t on duty, I would say that dress is the best out of all of them.”

Cadence smiled and hugged me. I figured there was no way that I would get caught, so I hugged her back. Cadence and I haven’t really seen each other for the past few months. It’s not like we didn’t try or anything. Since graduation, Celestia has been giving Cadence more responsibilities and has been busy most of the time. We tried to make plans, but she had to cancel due to her new responsibilities. At the same time, I had been working my flank off too. There were times when I would come home and find Octavia already asleep and I would have to leave before she woke up. I would look forward to my days off so I could spend time with my friends.

“I missed you,” Cadence said.

“I missed you too,” I said, finally letting go.

“Why didn’t they ever tell us that being an adult is hard?” She sat down on the bed and I followed.

“Because they didn’t know what we were going to do with our lives.”

“What happened to us, Golden? We used to be such good friends who would drop everything for the other one, but now we can’t even free up an hour for lunch. I don’t want us to drift apart.”

“I would never let that happen, Cadence. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. When you request for a specific guard, it gets ignored nine times out of ten. We send a random guard and they come up with some excuse why the one you picked couldn’t show up.”

“But I get you or Shining every time.”

“Because I asked Captain Iron Side to give me all of your requests, whether or not you ask for a specific guard. If I really miss you or I just want to see you, then I go. I drop everything I’m doing, just to see you.”

“Thank you,” she said with a smile, “but I have to ask you something. Why would you risk your job just to tell me this? If any guard comes into this room for any reason, then you lose your job.

“Because I have tomorrow off and the sun is setting. So, unless Captain Iron Side has been lying to me the entire time, I’m off duty. For what it’s worth, you looked good in all the other dress, but beautiful in that one.”

“Thanks, but I’m sure I’m not even close to Octavia.”

“You’re in the same ballpark.”

“How are you two? I mean I see Octavia from time to time and she says you’re doing fine, but I want to know your side of the story.”

“We’re doing great. I spend most of my days off with her and I like to take her out when I can. She took off the right though. She says she only wants to wear it on special occasions.”

“What about…in the bed…” Cadence said while blushing.

“Cadence!”

“Sorry. It’s just that Shining and I have been so busy that we haven’t been intimate in a while. The most we’ve done is sleep in the same bed.”

“Shining moved into the castle?”

“No, but he likes to sleep here instead of his small apartment. Do you think it’s me? Maybe he doesn’t find me sexy anymore.”

“Of course not. He still loves you very much. He said that you’re all he thinks about when he gets up and goes to sleep. He would die for you Cadence.”

“Thanks Golden.”

There was a knock on the door and Shining poked his head through. I was glad it was Shining because he knew that Cadence and I were just friends and nothing more. Anypony else, would have thought we were having an affair.

“Golden, Captain Iron Side needs you.”

“I’m off duty,”

“He said it was a personal matter.”

“Alright, but Cadence still needs a guard. Do you think you could…?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Cadence smiled when she figured out what I was doing. I got off the bed and Shining quickly took my place. I closed the door behind me and put a sound proof spell on the room, but that was more for the castle’s benefit.

“You wanted to see me, sir?” I said as I walked into Captain Iron Side’s office.

“Princess Celestia needs you to go to Ponyville tomorrow.”

“What?”

“She’s sending her protégé there tomorrow to help them get ready for the Summer Sun Celebration. Celestia wants to make sure that Twilight does her job.”

“She doesn’t think Twilight can do her job?” 

“Twilight can get ponies to set that up in the blink of an eye. Celestia is giving her an additional task. You’re going to make sure she gets that job done.”

“I have tomorrow off, she can’t do this.”

“She’s the princess.”

“Can’t we send someone else? We make up excuses all the time.”

“Sorry son, but this is Princess Celestia. I we can make up excuses for everypony else, but not her. If we don’t do what she says, then she’ll have our flank.”

“I was panning one taking Octavia to that new five star restaurant.”

“I’m sorry son. If she didn’t ask for you by name, then I would have sent literally any other guard.”

I walked out of his office with my head and went to the locker room to change into my street clothes. Octavia was going to be so disappointed. Octavia loves the Summer Sun Celebration ever since she was a little filly. She was having a really bad week and she thought it was never going to end. Then her mom took her to see Celestia to raise the sun and told her:

“No matter how dark things look, there’s always another day.”

Since then, Octavia would always watch the sun raise with someone she loved. She’s watched it with me for the past few years and I’ve tried to give her the best time of her life.

I took a deep breath before walking into the apartment. When I finally did open the door, I saw Octavia showing off a dress and Coco watching her. It was a long black dress that hugged her curves, but was twirled at the bottom. The dress came with a pair of elbow high gloves 

“Isn’t it amazing?” Octavia asked me when she saw me. “I told Coco about our plans yesterday and she made this.”

“It’s nothing really. I just thought you should look your best on your favorite holiday.”

“I know I’ve said it before, but if you need anything, and I mean anything, please feel free to ask.”

“Golden, there’s a suit for you in your room.”

“Thanks, Coco.”

“What’s wrong?” Octavia asked with some concern. She knew me so well that she could tell that something was wrong just by my voice.

“Promise you won’t get mad?”

“They’re making you work tomorrow, aren’t they?”

“It’s not just that. I’m going to Ponyville.”

“What?”

“Princess Celestia gave Twilight a special task and she wants me to make sure that it gets done.”

“So your mother put that responsibility on you?”

“Apparently. Look, I tried everything and I couldn’t get out of it. I’m so sorry. If you want, I can put on the suit and we could go out right now.”

“It’s not that I wanted to go out and have everyponies’ eyes on me. I just wanted to watch the sun raise with you. We could have been living in a cardboard box for all I care. So long as I get to watch the sun rise with you.”

“Can I say something?” Coco said with a low voice. “Why don’t you go with him?”

“It’s a nice thought Coco, but I have to play for the celebration here.”

“So, there’s no way for you two to see the sunrise tomorrow?”

“I guess not,” Octavia said while trying fight off tears. It always killed me to see her like that and I always try to stop her from crying.

“Hang on,” I said as I rushed into my room. I went to the nightstand on my side of the bed. I pulled out a black felt box and went back to the living room and handed it to Octavia.

“What’s this?” She opened the box and took out a gold bracelet with her cutie mark engraved in it.

“I was planning on giving it to you tomorrow when the sun came up, but seeing how that’s not an option anymore, I thought now would be good. Whenever you wear this, I’ll be with you.”

“I love it, Golden.” Octavia put on the bracelet and hugged me.

We didn’t go out that night, but we didn’t leave each other all night. Coco did go out to give us some privacy. Dinner was a three cheese, vegetable lasagna with alfrado sauce. She played a few songs for me and we went to bed shortly afterward.

I got to sleep in the next day and eat Octavia’s amazing breakfast. She tried to convince me not to go, but I didn’t have a choice. She walked with me to the landing area were we found Twilight and her baby dragon, Spike. I hugged Twilight and was amazed on how big she got. It’s when I realized that she wasn’t a little filly anymore, she was a young mare.

“And, I have an even more essential task for you to complete:” Spike said, reading from a letter, “make some friends!”

“That’s it?” I said. “I had to cancel dinner plans with my marefriend just to make sure Twilight makes friends?”

“I don’t like it either,” Twilight said. “Besides I have friends. My brother, you, Cadence, Octavia, Vinyl.”

“Now I get it. Twilight, you need friends your age.”

“Why? I like hanging out with you and Cadence and all of you.”

“To be fair, you haven’t really been hanging out with us. You spend most of your time in the library or off with Celestia. Sometimes, you have to stop reading those old dusty books.”

“You sound just like her,” Twilight said with a bit of depression.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just that Nightmare Moon is returning and no pony believes me.”

“I believe you.”

“Really?”

“A little. I mean those tales have to come from somewhere.”

“So, you’ll help me get through my check list so I can get back to the library ASAP?”

“Sorry Twi, but Princess Celestia gave me my own list. By the looks of it, he wants me to be in charge of Celestia’s visit.

“Step 1: Talk to Twilight about her special task. Check. Looks like I’m already a head of you.”

Twilight and I talked for a little while longer while Spike seemed to roll his eyes at everything we said. The chariot landed. Some pink pony freaked out when she Twilight and was gone in a flash.

Step 2: Make sure Twilight makes friends. She seems like she’s got a good grip on things.

Step 3: Investigate the area where the sun is to be raised.

I took the two guards flying our chariot and headed to city hall. There was a mare in city hall when we reached there. She was deciding between two main color schemes, using her magic to switch between two banners.

“Maybe if I…no,” she said, not realizing we entered. “Well this one works here, but this works so much better here.”

“Excuse me, miss,” I said.

“Not now, but can you tell me what you think? This one reminds me of the day and waking up to a beautiful day, but this one just screams royalty.”

“They look fine, but miss-”

“Look fine? These are some of the rarest materials outside of Manehatten. I spent months making clothing for free just to get enough fabric to make these banners and all you can say is they ‘Look fine’? Who do you think you are?”

She turned to face me and she started blushing when she saw I was a guard. I found it a little funny that her pure white face turned red. I wanted to laugh, but I am on duty.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, “I didn’t realize you were a guard.”

“It’s fine miss.”

“You can call me Rarity. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Just a routine check for the princess’s arrival. These two guards are going to look for all doors, so we know where to post guards. They are also going to check for structural weakness and any possible entry points. We will only be a minute, but if you could give us any information, that will make the search go by a lot faster.”

“Sorry, darling, but I was never concerned with how things were made.” I gave the guards a nod and they started their search. “So, are you some high ranking guard?”

“No Miss Rarity. There are higher ranks, but I am in command of a few stallions.”

“Well I always liked a stallion who could take charge.” Rarity had a seductive smile on her face. I knew that if I didn’t shut this down now, it would only get worse. Plus Octavia and/or Vinyl would probably kill me.

“Ma’am, I am currently obligated to not talk about my personal or love life at this time.”

“Oh I get it. I’ll just have to talk to you after the party.”

I started to look around to make sure the other guards wouldn’t hear me as I told her that I have a marefriend. Unfortunately, one guard was quickly coming towards me. He told me that the search of the building was complete and he noted where the doors were. I didn’t have much time to complete the list, so I had to say goodbye to Rarity. I was kicking myself because she believes that something can happen between us, but I would never cheat on Octavia.

The rest of the day was a little boring. It was mainly making sure none of the citizens were planning anything. Like they would. Ponyville is a nice little community. All the shops were family owned, most of the things here were made from scratch, and everypony knows each other. It’s a real nice place to settle down or just get away from the big city. Odds of one planning anything diabolical are exactly zero percent.

Celestia raised the moon, meaning she was on her way here. I waited near town hall with the other two guards and the Mayor. I was wondering what happened to Twilight, but then I noticed a party at a library treehouse. Twilight wasn’t one for parties, but she couldn’t stay away from a library, especially if she gets to live in it.

Celestia arrived with a few guards, enough to put one at each of the spots noted in the city hall. She introduced herself to the Mayor and the Mayor took us the city hall. Above the main room is a bedroom. It’s a VIP room used for the most important ponies. When we reached the city hall and I gave the guards their positions, while the Mayor, Celestia, and I made out way to the bedroom.

“This room was made just for you, Princess,” the Mayor said. “I’m sorry this room isn’t big enough for the both of you.”

“It’s fine, Madame Mayor,” I said. “I wasn’t planning on staying.”

“Thank you, Madame Mayor,” Celestia said. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like a moment.”

“Of course.” The Mayor left the room, leaving me and Celestia. I was looking out the window to the Everfree Forest.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Celestia said as she stood next to me. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t respond. “You know I was looking out this window when I first saw that darkness in the forest.”

“I still remember that day. Octavia says I still have nightmares and talk in my sleep.”

“I’ve replayed that day so many times and thought about all the different things I could have done. I could have just gone to bed or decided not to go out in the rain. I would have hated myself. Plus, I would have never gotten the chance to be your mother.”

“You know, I wondered what my life would have been like if you didn’t find me. I would probably would have been raised by somepony else or some feral creature living in the Everfree Forest. I would have never met you, Cadence, Shining, Octavia. That thought scares me a little, but I’m happy that it’s not reality.”

“How much do you love her?”

“More than anything in the world. I honestly don’t know what I would do without her.”

“So, you’re probably want to start a family someday?”

“Hopefully.”

“Well then, a higher salary would help.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“Captain Iron Side is retiring soon. He’s been asking around for suggestions and your name has been thrown around.”

“I’m not going to take the job because you told Captain Iron Side to give it to me.”

“It’s not guaranteed. I’ve also heard Shining’s name being tossed around a few times.”

“So you sent me here to give me the leg up?”

“I asked for you because I trust you the most. Look Golden, all I’m saying is that if you really want this job, you have to really work for it.”

“Thanks mom. I don’t know when’s the last time I’ve told you this, but I’m lucky to have somepony like you to watch over me. I love you, mom.”

“I love you too. Now, go see what happened to Twilight. My hope is that she is at that party meeting new ponies.”

I left the room, and headed down to the main room. I took a quick look around at Rarity’s handiwork. Just when I was about to leave, somepony tapped me on the shoulder.

“Hey princy boy,” The voice said. I turned around and was immediately punched across the face. The room started to spin and then everything went black.

----------

“Guard!” A familiar voice said. “Please wake up!” My vision started to return to me. I saw Rarity shaking me violently. I was in the VIP room with a few other passed out guards and five other mares. “Oh thank goodness you are awake.”

“What happened?”

“It’s Princess Celestia. She’s gone missing and Nightmare Moon has returned.”

“What?”

“We can explain on the way,” an orange mare said.

“Way to where?”

“The Library silly,” The pink one said.

“Why are we going to the library?”

“Because that Twilight mare knows something,” a light blue pegasus said, “but Rarity insisted we have a guard with us.”

“We don’t know what we’re up against, Rainbow Dash. He is sworn to protect us. Plus he might know something that we need.”

“Fine. Can we go now?”

“Give him some time to recover. He was unconscious for a few hours.”

“I’m fine. I have to find the Princess and stop Nightmare Moon. You said that Twilight might know something. We need to go to her.”

“How do you know Twilight?” Rainbow Dash said as she got into my face. “Are you a spy too?”

“Um, I don’t think either of them are spies.” A yellow pegasus said softly. 

“I’m not a spy! I’m Golden Shield, a member of the royal guard. It’s my duty to make sure Princess Celestia is safe at all times. Now, I’m going to find Twilight. You’re welcome to come with me or not.”

I got out of the bed and made my way to the library. The other five mares followed me. They introduced themselves on the way and filled me in on what happened while I was passed out. Princess Celestia went missing and then Nightmare Moon appeared. She promised everlasting night. I honestly didn’t care about that. I just wanted to make sure my mom was safe.

We reached the library to find Twilight already looking through her books looking for something called The Elements of Harmony. Pinkie quickly found the book after looking under the E section. The Elements of Harmony are six magical objects that were used to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon in the first place. According to the book, the elements were found in the Castle of the Two Sisters, which was in the Everfree Forest. We had no other option, but to go to the castle and find the elements.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked me as we stood at the entrance of the forest. The other mares already went in, even after Twilight told them to stay in Ponyville.

“My mom was kidnapped, I was knocked out, and there’s a very good chance that I’m going to lose my job.”

“I mean about going into the forest.”

“I’ll be fine. It’s been a while, but I think I’ll be fine.” I was lying. In fact, I had a nightmare last night, but I wasn’t going to let Twilight know that.

Twilight and I caught up with the other mares and the seven of us made our way to the castle. The forest was exactly as I remembered it. The trees were twisted with grim faces, the darkness would retract when we approached it and retreat when we weren’t looking. Worst of all, there was a feeling that we were being watched. Rarity tried to keep next to me and would jump at the smallest cricket chirp. I couldn’t tell her that I was taken. If I’m protecting the princess, then I’m on duty.

“So, what’s it like being a royal guard?” Rainbow Dash asked me.

“It’s a lot of standing ma’am.”

“What about the pay? Is the pay good?”

“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said, “Give the stallion some room to breathe.”

“It’s fine miss. The pay is good enough.”

“Apparently, they’re paying too much.” a hooded figure said. I recognized the voice as the pony that punched me. “Seriously, being KO’ed by one punch.” Instinctively, I put myself in between the mares and the figure, making sure Twilight was the safest.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Nightingale,” he said as he removed his cloak. He was a very dark blue pegasus with a white mane. “I am Nightmare Moon’s right hand stallion. She gave me a very special task. She wants me to make sure that you’re out of the way.” He cracked his knuckles and gave me a menacing look.

“We need to keep going,” Twilight said.

“Oh, you ladies are free to go. I just need to make sure that his journey stops here.”

“Go, Twilight. I have some unfinished business with him.”

The mares looked at each other and decided that Twilight was right, they need to keep moving. The mares moved pass Nightingale, but Twilight was a bit hesitant.

“You need to go, Twilight. Just promise me that you’ll find her.”

“Promise me you’ll be careful.” Twilight hugged me and then ran off with the other mares.

Nightingale and I faced each other. He had a cocky look on his face. I don’t remember who threw the first punch, but we were fighting. He was defiantly faster than me, but I had my spells and hit a little harder. I would throw a punch, he would dodge by flying and coming back with a punch, I would teleport and then launch a spell, and he would dodge again. We lost track of how long we’ve been fighting, but we did do some damage to each other. It wasn’t anything too bad, but we were going to feel it in the morning. Finally, I got the upper hand. One of my spells clipped his wing, making him fall to the ground. I took the chance and bound him to the ground.

“There,” I said, out of breath. “I win.”

“No you don’t. This isn’t over until my mom gets here.”

“Wait, what?”

“Good job, boys,” said a voice from behind me. I turned around to see Nightmare Moon standing right behind me. The second I turned around, Nightmare Moon casted a spell that bounded me to a tree. “Very entertaining.”

“Thanks, mom. Now set me free.”

“Sorry, Night. The only one that can free you is currently missing a princess.”

“And I’m not letting go until you release her.”

“Well, I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. Don’t worry, Night, his spell isn’t as strong as mine. You’ll be free in a few hours. Now you two play nice. I have some mares to stop.”

Nightmare Moon turned into this black mist and she was gone. Nightingale and I just sat in silence. Neither of us knew what to say. To be honest, I was a little shocked to learn that Nightmare Moon had a son.

“So, what’s your story?” He asked after a while.

“What do you care?”

“Nothing better to do, Might as well talk, I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours. Trust me, you want to hear my story.”

“Alright, if your story is so good, then why don’t you go first?”

“Oh no. I asked you first.”

“Fine. When I was four, I was being chased by some darkness that I could never explain. Princess Celestia, found me and the darkness disappeared. She took me to Ponyville to find my parents, but they weren’t there. She had to go back to Canterlot and took me with her. Two years later, she adopted me. Your turn.”

“Alright. I was lost here, in the Everfree Forest, during a storm when I was about six. I can’t remember why I was there, but I was just walking through. I found my way out and then the storm suddenly stopped. I looked by and saw the mare in the moon. I couldn’t explain it, but there was something about it that made me feel safe. I thought about going into the town, but I decided against it. I eventually found The Children of the Night, an organization who appreciated the night and wanted to bring Nightmare Moon back. I told them about how I felt a connection to the moon and they decided to take me in. Over the years, we worked to bring Nightmare Moon back. When she did return, she hugged me first and told me that she was watching over me the entire time. She said that she felt like she was my mom, so I became her son.”

“Small world. Why are you being nice to me? An hour ago, we were killing each other.”

“I’ve been watching you for a while, and I like you. You seem like a good stallion, loving coltfriend, strong guard. The only reason I had to fight you is because I couldn’t let my mom down.”

“I’ve been there.”

Nightingale and I talked for a little while longer. I decided to let him go, but he didn’t run off to try and help Nightmare Moon. Instead he tried his best to free me from the spell which kept me to the tree. The spell eventually faded when the sun started to raise.

“Looks like your friend did it.”

“Yeah. Are you going to be okay?”

“I should be. I just have to stay away from major cities because of that whole treason thing.”

“I’ll talk to my mom. You’ll be fine, but you have to come with me.”

We walked back to Ponyville to find they were celebrating. I found out that Twilight was going to move to Ponyville. This was going to crush Shining, but I feel like it’s something that she has to do. I was a little proud of her, but that wasn’t important right now. Nightingale started looking around for his mom. Standing on a chariot was Princess Celestia and standing next to her was a smaller mare with a dark blue coat with a lighter shade of blue for her mane. I recognized her by the family tree as Princess Luna.

Nightingale ran up to her and they stared into each other’s eyes.

“Are you still my mom?” he asked.

“Do you still want me to be?” Luna asked.

“When you were on the moon, I made a connection with somepony. That’s who I want to be my mom.”

“It was a little bit of Nightmare Moon, but it was mostly me. I may not be her anymore, but I still love you, Nightingale.”

“I love you too, mom.” The two of them hugged and started to cry a bit.

I stood next to Celestia, who was crying too. I have to admit, it was a touching moment and I started to tear up myself.

“Beautiful moment, isn’t it?” I asked my mom.

“I got my sister back, she gets to keep her son, and you gained a cousin. Are you okay? I heard that the two of you got into a nasty fight.”

“I’ll be fine. It’s just a few scratches and bruises. What about you? What did she do to you?”

“I couldn’t really tell. It was all dark, but the spell was broken when Twilight and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon.”

“What’s going to happen to Nightingale? I mean, he did commit treason.”

“Captain Iron Side is probably put him through a trial and lock him away.”

“He can’t do that. He was just trying to help his mother. If the rolls were switched, I would do the exact same thing. He didn’t knock me out and fight me because he wanted to overthrow the government. He was doing it because he loves his mom.”

“Golden, I know that and you know that, but no pony else does. I can try my best to make sure he spends as little time as possible in prison, but that’s about it.”

“Okay. Thanks mom.”

We spent some time celebrating with the ponies of Ponyville. Princess Luna and Nightingale went off to get to know each other a little better. After a few hours, Princess Celestia decided to go back to Canterlot. She, Luna, and Nightingale left in the chariot Celestia came in. Twilight wanted to stay for a little while longer and talk with her friends. I didn’t mind, although I was dying to see Octavia. We did eventually leave after about an hour.

“So, you’re going to move away from Canterlot?” I asked her.

“Looks that way. Do you think I’m making a mistake? If I leave Canterlot, then I’ll be leaving you, Cadence, Princess Celestia, my family, and especially my brother.”

“I think you should do whatever makes you happy. It doesn’t matter if that means living in Ponyville or living in Canterlot. What do you think is going to make you happy?”

“Well, I did like being with those girls, but I’m going to miss you guys. Plus, I’ve never even spent a night away from home. How am I going live?”

“You still have Spike.” I looked over to the little dragon, who was asleep. The little guy loved sleeping, but he was a baby dragon after all

“Yeah, but…”

“You don’t want to be away from your brother.”

“He’s my BBBFF. We share everything and I can trust him with my life. I mean, it’s not like I can’t trust you, but we have a bond that nothing can break.”

“Twilight, I know how much you love your brother, but I haven’t seen you this happy since, well, since you got your cutie mark. Those five mares, bring out the best part of you and you bring out the best in them. I’m going to be honest, I’m going to miss you like there’s no tomorrow, but I want to see you happy. I love you like a sister, Twi.”

Twilight was on the brink of crying. She quickly gave me a hug and I hugged back. Twilight told me that I was an honorary BBBFF and that she was going to miss me too. Most of the rest of the ride back to Canterlot was talking about what Twilight expects to happen.

Octavia was waiting for me when we landed. She immediately ran up to me and threw her arms around me. She told me that she was scared when the sun didn’t raise, but then she realized that I would make sure that it would happen. I told her everything that happened to me and that Twilight was moving to Ponyville. Octavia started to come up with plans to make sure this was going to be Twilight’s best last night in Canterlot.

I was about to walk off with Octavia, but then we were stopped by one of the guards. Captain Iron Side wanted to see me in the throne room. Part of me wanted to tell him that I was busy or just to screw off, mainly because last time I did I got knocked out. That would probably mean that I would lose my job, so I complied.

The guard led me to the throne room, although I didn’t really need him because it wasn’t like I lived her for about fourteen years. I saw Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Iron Side, and Shining waiting for me in there. I wasn’t really sure what was going on.

“Thank you for joining us, Golden,” Celestia said. “Now that we’re all here, Captain, what is it that you wanted to tell us?”

“When the sun didn’t raise this morning, I started to get worried. My first instinct was to run to my wife and daughters and make sure that she makes it through this. When the sun did come back up, I realized something. The whole thing was a metaphor for me. My time as Captain of the Royal Guard is setting and a new Captain time is starting. So, I am officially retiring tomorrow. By this time tomorrow, there will be a new Captain of the Royal Guard. I believe I get to name my successor. After consideration I officially name the best damn guards we have, Golden Shield and Shining Armor, the new Captains of the Royal Guard.”

Everypony was shocked. It was a lot to process, especially the part when he not only named me Captain of the Royal Guard, but Shining too. I was happy because it meant that the two of us didn’t have to compete for the title, but a little surprise that it happened.

“Can he do that?” Cadence asked.

“He can,” Luna said. “The Captain’s duty is to protect and serve Equestria and his princesses. Unless the policy has changed since I’ve been gone, then there is nothing that says that two ponies can’t fulfill that role.”

“Are you sure you want to do this, Captain Iron Side?”

“I’m sure. I want to spend plenty of time with my family and I can’t do that if I’m Captain. I know that these two stallions can handle the task. Shining, your main duty is to administer the guards to where they need to go. Golden, you’re going to make sure nothing happens to these three mares. At the same time, neither of you forget the oath you two took on your first day. Your first duty is, and will always will be, to protect and serve. As of tomorrow, I leave the safety of Equestria in your hands.”

“Thank you, sir.” I said, trying to hold back a smile.

“We won’t let you down, sir.” Shining said, failing to hold in a smile.

Cadence, Shining, and I walked out of the throne room and found Octavia was waiting for us outside the room. She looked worried and I assumed that she thought I got fired too.

“What happened?” She asked.

“You’re looking at the new Captains of the Royal Guard,” Shining said.

“Both of you?”

“The Captain has two main duties,” Cadence explained. “Captain Iron Side just split the duties between them.”

“That’s wonderful news! Aren’t you excited, Golden?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“What’s wrong?” Octavia asked.

“He’s retiring.”

“Yeah, that’s how we got the job.”

“No, you guys don’t understand. He’s a father figure to me. Everything I’ve done was to make him proud. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for him. And now, he’s just going to be gone.

“You have made me proud, son,” Captain Iron Side said from behind me. I turned around to face him and saw a big smile on his face. “Golden, you’re the son I never had and I am so fortunate to have met you. I’ve watched you grown up and I will go to my grave saying that you are one of the best guards this place has ever seen. Now, I wouldn’t have given you this job if I didn’t think you were qualified for it. It’s time for you to make me even more proud, son.”

That was one of the last things Captain Iron Side said to me, besides all the ceremonial things. The first thing Captain Iron Side did was go visit his daughters with his wife. Then the two traveled around Equestria for a while, moving to Las Pegasus to settle down. I attended his funeral when his time came and I was told that he never stopped talking about me, but that’s further down the road.

Octavia decided to throw a party for me, Shining and Twilight in our apartment. It was more of a little get together between the five of us, Twilight, and some friends that we made over the years. Octavia has been throwing parties like these at least once a month. She says it’s on opportunity for friends to keep in touch, which see needed because she was always practicing for concerts. Coco and I didn’t mind, but Vinyl was a different story. Most of the time, however, she was off either DJ-ing or partying. This wasn’t one of those nights.

“I can’t believe this,” Vinyl said after taking a sip of beer. She was wearing a dress that Coco made for her, although she would rather be in jeans and a tank top. “The one night I have off and I have to spend it in a stupid dress. I just wanted one night to listen to my music, but no I have to act all frufru because you got a promotion. I can’t believe Tavi.”

“At least she gave you your beer.”

“Yeah, like two. I can’t even get a buzz going with just two beers.”

“Besides, it’s not just for me. This is Twilight’s last night in Canterlot. Octy wants to give her a proper farewell. Besides, you look good in that dress.”

“Don’t push it. So, how was your trip to Ponyville?”

“Besides me being knocked out and my mom being kidnapped, it was pretty nice. It’s a small community that where everypony knows each other.”

“So, no problems at all?”

“Well…there was this one mare.” 

“What?”

“She was all over me and I couldn’t get away from her. I wanted to tell her that I had a marefriend, but I couldn’t because I was on duty. It was nothing.”

“Let’s hope you’re right.”

“Just do me a favor and not tell Octy. I don’t want her to think that I cheated on her or I’m going to cheat on her.”

“Okay, but hope that this doesn’t come back to bite you in the ass.”

The rest of the party was what I imagined the gala would be like. Most of it was just ponies talking with classical music playing in the background. I loved Octavia’s parties because I feel like an adult. Of course I felt like an adult whenever I go to work, but that’s because I have to stand up straight and look like an adult. Here, I get to act like one with other ponies.

I could barely sleep that night. I was way too excited to officially be named Captain of the Royal Guard. The next day, the first thing Captain Iron Side did was officially announce that today was his last day and that Shining and I were to take his place. There was a bit of a shock that he named two ponies captain, but if wouldn’t be able to choose between either of us if they were in his position. Princess Celestia invited every guard to a special dinner that night, with me, Shining, and former Captain Iron Side being the guests of honor.

The dinner was amazing. It was the first time that I was allowed to sit at the main table with my mom and aunt. I was allowed to bring a guest, which was of course Octavia. She said that she could never repay me for bringing her, but it was nothing. After that main course, Luna came behind me. She looked completely different. She was much taller, her main was darker, and she had a more authoritative look.

“Captain Golden, may I talk to you in private?” Luna asked me.

“Sure,” I said. I gave Octavia a kiss on the cheek and then walked off with my aunt. I followed her to the tower and out to the balcony.

“You did an amazing job with the stars,” I said as I looked up at the night’s sky.

“Thank you, Captain. It has been a while, but it still looks like I have the touch.”

“Can I ask what happened? Yesterday you were small and looked completely different.”

“Yes, being on the moon for a thousand years froze my aging process. Once I raised the moon and put the stars in the sky, I aged to this. I had to make my decision to continue aging or live forever on the spot. I decide to live with my sister forever.”

“What did you want to talk about?”

“I make it a point to know the Captain of the Royal Guard. Not only that, but you are my nephew and what kind of aunt would I be if I didn’t know you.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Not much. I have been watching you for some time now. It was the one part of Nightmare Moon that I could control. There was something about you and Nightingale that almost brought me back. However, your dreams tell a different story. You still fear the darkness that chased you when you were younger.”

“After what happened, I think I’ll be fine. More importantly, you were in my dreams?”

“I am the princess of the night and it is my duty to keep you safe, even in your dreams. That’s why I sent that mare made of light.”

“So, that wasn’t my real mom?”

“Sadly, no. The mare made of light is an entirety I use to help rid ponies of nightmares. She does give off a warm feeling that most ponies associate with their mother. Unfortunately, I could not find your birth mother, but I know you are happy with my sister.”

“I am, and I’m glad that you’re my aunt.”

She hugged me and we talked a little more before returning to the dining hall. Most of the ponies cleared out, leaving only a few lucky ponies who got tickets to this dinner and Octavia and Celestia catching up. We decided to leave because Octavia was feeling tired and it would be best if I rest up. Tomorrow is my first day of being Captain of the Royal Guard.

> Chapter 25: Captain
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up this morning knowing it was my first day of being Captain of the Royal Guard. I should be excited, but it feels like every other day. I should be getting up at 6AM like a little colt on Hearth’s Warming, but it felt like any other morning. I got up, took a shower, got dressed, Octavia made me breakfast and walked me to work. It was just like any other day, but with a new title tacked onto my name. It was weird because I was excited whenever I got promoted, just not this time.

“What’s wrong?” Octavia asked me as we walked to the castle.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because Captain Iron Side isn’t here.”

“He really did mean a lot to you, didn’t he?”

“He really was like my dad, and now he’s gone.”

“Well, you can still write to him. And is this really how he would want you to react? He gave you his job because he knows that you can do it, and you’re not going to get anything done while you’re in that mood. I was planning on surprising you tonight, but…”

Octavia leaned in and whispered in my ear. It was something that I would rather not repeat. I tried to keep in a smile because we were outside the castle and Celestia was quickly coming towards us. Octavia gave me a kiss on the cheek and said good-bye.

Celestia gave me a look over, like she did on my first day of training. Because I was now the captain, I was allowed to dress a little more formally, so long as I still look presentable. Captain Iron Side always wore his medals on his navy blue uniform. While I didn’t have as many medals as he did, I thought that I would at least wear something similar. Celestia knew this and she was obviously proud.

“Captain,” she said.

“Mom, I’m not on duty for another five minutes.”

Celestia grabbed me the second I finished talking, giving me one of the tightest hugs she has ever given me. Of course, I hugged back. Really, I’m here because of her. I told her this and she responded with “I know” and then went on to talk about how proud she was. Before I knew it, the five minutes were up and I was on duty.

Celestia showed me to my new office, which was Captain Iron Side’s old office with all his pictures gone and a second desk was added. I checked the small room to see if he left the heavy bag. He did and he put a note on it.

This job can be hell. Enjoy.

-IS

I smiled and decided to keep the note at my desk as a reminder of the stallion that came before me. In the corner of the room was a suit of armor with my cutie mark on the chest. There was another stand that looked like it held another suit of armor. I guess Shining spent the night and put on his armor.

“Morning,” Shining said as he came into the room wearing his armor. “Got you coffee.”

“Felt like playing soldier?” I said as I took the cup.

“Went on patrol and we have to wear it when we go on patrol.”

“I think your armor is going to see a lot more action than mine.”

“You just have a little more paperwork. Besides, you can go out and have fun whenever you want.”

“Yeah, but now comes the hard part.”

I threw a large stack of folders on his desk. They were applications to join the royal guard. Every year we get hundreds of applications to join the royal guard. Usually, we can only accept somewhere between thirteen to twenty-five new guards per session. The only problem is that there really isn’t a criteria for new guards and we have to go with our gut more times than not.

“That evil genius left before he had to pick new ones. This is going to take all day.”

“Why don’t you start giving the guards assignments and patrol Canterlot and I’ll get started on these.”

“Are you sure? There has to be at least a hundred of these.”

“It’s fine. My duty is to wait for the princesses to need me.”

“Only if you’re sure.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll save you some.”

Shining smiled and went back to patrolling with a few of the first years. Shining was one of the more unique guards because he likes to train the first years. He says that he feels like he was made to be a guard and it’s his duty to train as many ponies as he can. Bless him for that, because I wouldn’t be able to stand training them.

I opened the first folder and took out the application on top. Applications are basically a personal story and their protective instincts test. I was looking for ponies that want to protect Canterlot at all costs. I wanted a pony that would give his life for the city even if they weren’t paid. It took all day, but I was able to get through the pile and pick out fifty applicants. Unfortunately, we can only take fifteen this session. I sighed as I looked at the other two piles of applications on my desk. Lucky for me, these were for the other two branches and I just have to meet with the heads of those branches sometime this week.

I thought about making my rounds of the castle when the door flung open.

“Thank god you’re here,” Cadence said as she came into the room.

“What do you need, princess?”

“It’s an emergency in room 241. Code Blue.”

“I’m not falling for this one, Cadence. Last time you called a Code Blue you almost got me fired.”

“Cady?” The bane of my existence said. “Where is the maid? The towels in my room are not folded correctly.”

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“Cady, there you are,” Blueblood said as he entered my office. “Listen, Cady, have you seen…oh hello porter.”

“That’s Captain Porter to you.”

“Golden and Shining became the new Captains of the Royal Guard.”

“Are you still dating that fellow? I rather like him.”

“Yeah. Our anniversary is-”

“Well I best be off to find one of the castle’s lazy maids. Ta-ta. Oh, and have a guard on stand-by for whatever I need.” I wanted to jump out of my seat and celebrate when he left the room. Somehow, he has gotten worse.

“How long?” I asked Cadence.

“You wouldn’t want to hear the answer.”

“Just tell me.”

“He’s moving into the castle.”

“Looks like Captain Iron Side left at the right time. Does he really expect me to set a guard aside just for him?”

“Captain Iron Side just said he would. How’s your first day?”

“A lot of paperwork, although I did offer to do it so Shining could patrol.”

“Well, at least you’re happy. You are happy, right?”

“Of course I am. This is my dream job. It’s a little more paperwork than I expected, but I don’t mind. I was about to make my rounds of the castle.”

“You might have to hold off on that. Auntie Celestia asked for you.”

“At least I get a chance to walk around.”

I got up from my desk for the first time that day and walked with Cadence to wherever Celestia was. She was in the castle’s meeting room with the Queen of the Changelings.

“Ma’am,” I said to Celestia as I entered the room, “Princess Cadence said you needed me.”

“Captain Golden, I would like to introduce you to Queen Chrysalis, the queen of the changelings. Queen Chrysalis, this is Captain Golden Shield.”

“What happened to that other one?” Her voice was twisted and almost nightmarish.

“He retired as of yesterday, ma’am. I, along with Captain Shining Armor, replaced him. Do not worry, we were both trained by him.”

“It shows. You are just as formal as he was.”

“We need to get to business Queen Chrysalis,” Celestia said. “I understand there was an important matter to discuss.”

“Yes, but I don’t understand why he needs to be here. I’m sure he has other tasks he needs to attend to.”

“The same reason I always asked Captain Iron Side to attend our meetings. I asked Captain Golden to be here to represent the common pony of Equestria. As Captain of the Royal Guard, he has their safety and best interests in mind. Now, what did you want to talk about?”

“The laws currently in place regarding changelings. I want them abolished. They are an insult to my species.”

“Hold on, ma’am,” I said, “I have to remind you that a changeling snuck into this castle, took a princess hostage, and then impersonated her. The laws are there to make sure no pony has anything to worry about.”

“That was one rogue changeling. It has absolutely nothing to do with how we act. I believe my subjects have proven that they can restrain themselves around ponies.”

“I’m sorry, but revoking the law will cause panic and paranoia. As Captain of the Royal Guard, I have to formally reject your proposal.”

“Alright,” She said with a bit of frustration. “There was one more matter I wanted to bring up. The changelings need a steady food source. As you know, we feed on love and Equestria has more love than any other place. I offer you this deal: You let us feed off of your love and we will give you a steady supply of the finest silk and my changelings will help protect Equestria.”

“I’m afraid I have to decline that offer as well,” Princess Celestia said.

“What? Why not?” Queen Chrysalis was angry and visibly frustrated.

“You should know that draining a pony of their love makes them weak and disoriented. I cannot put my subjects through that. Plus, how am I to choose which ponies? As princess, my priority is to ensure the safety and happiness of everypony in Equestria.”

“Fine!” She shouted. Two guards burst in the room as I readied to protect the princess. I held up my hand to tell them not to attack until given the order. “Be warned Princess, there will come a day where I will have you begging and I will remember this day. And you, you will be begging for mercy. I will have you on your knees begging for the release of death.”

The queen started to leave and I ordered the guards to follow her and watch her closely. Lucky for us, she didn’t try anything and left with as much class as she could.

“Interesting first day?” Celestia asked me.

“Not really. It was mostly paperwork and then this. I hope Shining had a more interesting day than me.”

“That’s unfortunately going to happen more often than not, especially for you. You have to protect me, Luna, and Cadence from any dangers. Unfortunately for you, that doesn’t happen too often. However, you are in charge of ponies and you are living your dream.”

“I wasn’t complaining, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’ve been watching Captain Iron Side since I got here and I’ve prepared for this. I don’t care if it’s all just paper work, I’m doing what I love.”

“That’s good to hear. You’re off duty in a little while and dinner is going to be served soon. Will you join us?”

“Sorry, but I have plans with Octavia.”

“Well, you two have fun. And give this to her, for me. It’s that thing we were talking about.” Celestia handed me a closed envelope with Octavia’s full name on it. I took the envelope, hugged Celestia, and walked back to my office. I put a few things in order on my desk and did a little prepping for tomorrow. Shining came in and immediately took a seat at his desk. He looked tired and physically spent.

“Long day?” I asked.

“You don’t know the half of it. What about you? Enjoy your paperwork.”

“I did more than that today. The queen of the changelings decided to pay us a visit. She wanted some unreasonable things, but she left with nothing.”

“That sounds way more interesting than my day. All I did was chase around a few punks.”

“The more things change, I guess. Alright, I’m going to get going. I left some applications on your desk. Pick the fifteen you want to train.”

“Hey, I need to talk to you about something before you go.”

“What?”

“It’s about Nightingale. He committed an act of treason against Princess Celestia and he needs to be punished.”

“I deal with it tomorrow.”

“Well, that’s the thing.”

“Let me go!” I heard Nightingale shout from the hallway. “I didn’t do anything!”

“What did you do, Shining?”

“My job. He’s a criminal and I apprehended him.”

“No, you did my job. If he put a princess’s life in danger, then it’s my job to stop him.”

“Yeah, but you have a conflict of interest. He’s your cousin, which means you’re more likely to go easier on him. When there is a conflict, then the next head of command takes over their duties.”
I ran out into the hallway to find Nightingale trying to get free of two guards.

“Get off him,” I commanded.

“Sorry, Captain Golden. Captain Shining has told us to disregard all orders,” One of the guards said.

“Golden! Help me!”

“What are you doing?” Princess Luna asked. The guard immediately let go of Nightingale and bowed.

“Our apologies, Princess Luna. Captain Shining told us to arrest Nightingale.”

“Under what charges?”

“Treason against Princess Celestia.”

“I assume that Captain Shining did not hear. Nightingale was not in his right mind and under Nightmare Moon’s control. Princess Celestia pardoned Nightingale for his crimes. Plus, the law states that you cannot arrest a captain without the written consent of a princess.”

“Captain?” I asked.

“I have decided that you and Captain Shining need some help. While you two are fantastic guards, you cannot be there for us all the time. I have established the Lunar Guard, to help protect Equestria at night. I have named Nightingale the Captain of the Lunar Guard.”

The guards looked at each other with a bit of worry in their eyes. They realized that they would be taking orders from Nightingale in a matter of hours. They quickly walked away and I chuckled. Nightingale smiled and hugged Luna. He then gave me a smile and walked away. I was amazed that Luna was that quick with coming up with something like that. She have me a triumphant smile and thanked me for my service today.

I walked back to my apartment as the sun was setting. There was something that I always found enchanting about the night, and that feeling got stronger when Luna returned. What made me happier was that ponies started to really appreciate the night. They used it to have parties with friends, spend time with their families, or spend time with the pony you love.

I opened the door to the apartment to find it had completely changed. The lights were turned off and the room was lit by candles. There was a record of classical music playing in the background. Octavia was sitting at the end of a table, which had a still hot meal on it, wearing a beautiful dress.

“There’s my captain,” She said with a smile. “How was your first day?”

“Perfect,” I said as I smiled back at her.

“Well, get dressed. There is a suit in your room.”

“Before I forget, Princess Celestia wanted me to give us this.” I handed Octavia the envelope and she opened it. She read and her jaw dropped.

“Princess Celestia wants me to play at the Grand Galloping Gala. Golden, this…this…I don’t know what this is. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“I know and you wouldn’t believe how much convincing it took.”

“You did this?”

“I might have had a hand in it.”

“I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much.”

Octavia had a smile on her face all night. She planned everything out that night. It started with dinner, then we danced in the living room, and then…anyway, that was the night I realized something. I loved Octavia more than anypony, but it was more than that. I loved every little bit of her. Everything she did perfectly, everything she did wrong, all her flaws, even her quirks. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.
> Chapter 26: Plan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I like watching Octavia sleep. She did some work in the morning to look the way she does. She would shower, brush and straighten her mane, brush and floss her teeth, put on make-up, and pick the perfect outfit. When she was asleep, however, her mane was a mess, she had absolutely no make-up, and was perfect. This natural beauty could only be appreciated by the pony who loves them the most and couldn’t care less about how they looked. For Octavia, that pony was me.

Last night, when we were dancing in the living room, I decided that I was going to propose to Octavia. The when, where, and how were still fuzzy, but I think I could put together a plan and there was surely no way she could say “no”. For now, however, I’m just going to enjoy this.

It was a good ten minutes of almost silence. The only thing you could hear was Coco getting ready for work. A friend of hers recently opened a small boutique in Canterlot. While she did enjoy making dresses and was always happy to help a friend, she didn’t get the chance to work on what she wanted to.

“You’re going to be late,” Octavia said as she was waking up. She turned to me and kissed me. “Still love my morning breath?” she asked when our lips parted.

“Always,” I said with a smile. “And I’m the boss now, I can show up whenever I want.”

Octavia kissed me again and we got out of bed to get ready for the day. Octavia took her shower first while I brushed and flossed my teeth and when we finished we would switch. There were times where we would shower together, but we had to focus today. I have to meet with the heads of the other branches of the royal guard and Octavia has a dress rehearsal for an upcoming concert.

“I almost forgot, Golden,” Octavia said as I started to put on my uniform, “we’re having dinner with my parents tonight.”

“Why don’t we ever have dinner with my parents?” I said jokingly

“We did. Every day for twelve years.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“We can’t just have dinner with my parents?”

“I just want to know if it’s just a visit or if something special is happening.”

“It’s their anniversary and they invited us to come celebrate it with them.”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a small restaurant where they had their first date. They’ve been going there every year.”

I smiled as I finished buttoning up my uniform. I need to ask her parents for their blessing, but that was more of a formality. Her parents always liked me since I first met Octavia and they even completely approved of our relationship when we told them about it. Getting their approval should be easy.

Octavia finished brushing her mane, got dressed, and I walked her to the theater where she was performing. Octavia’s manager, Signed Contract, was waiting for us outside the theater. She first contacted Octavia shortly after we returned from Applewood. Signed was extremely persistent, but Octavia was using the same manager her parents used when they toured. However, her old manager got sick which lead to his death. Without a manager, Octavia received offers on an hourly basis. Signed Contract was responsible for at least half of them, always making a new offer when she turned down the last. She eventually caved, and Signed Contract became her manager.

“Where were you?” Signed asked us. “She needs to practice, Golden. You can’t keep her home because your libido is out of check.” She did not like me as she saw me as a distraction more than a coltfriend.

“It was my fault,” Octavia said, “I wanted to sleep in and Golden tried to wake me up, but I wouldn’t budge. Besides, we’re not that late.”

“Octavia, you need to practice as much as possible. All three princesses are going to be at this performance as well as their guests. This is one of the most important concerts of your life.”

“I know, but-”

“But nothing. Octavia, if you don’t get this performance down perfectly, then you will never work in Equestria again. Go get dressed.”

Octavia kissed me on the cheek and walked into the theater. Signed rolled her eyes, but I’ve learned to brush it off as nothing. In fact, she started to take Vinyl’s place as the pony we love to annoy the most.

“Shouldn’t you get going?” She asked me. “The guests are arriving today and I’m sure they want to know that they’re safe.”

Oh right, the Saddle Arabian guests. Saddle Arabia is found south of the Badlands, which is an area relatively unknown area of Equestria. The Arabians first appeared when a group of them explored past the Badland about 500 years ago, finding the new formed settlement that would become Dodge Junction. Their leader met with Princess Celestia and she allowed them to remain independent from Equestria and they would come to their defense when needed.

“Nice to see you too Signed,” I said as I started to walk away.

She was right. I had to be there when they arrived to represent the guards and reinforce their safety. I also had to assign them personal guards but that was nothing more than picking a name out of a hat.

I arrived at the castle and headed to my office where I found Nightingale sleeping at my desk.

“Time to go home, buddy,” I said waking him up. “Busy night?”

“Just some punks who think they’re the shit,” He said after yawning. “I arrested some kid last night after I caught him trying to break into a café. I told him that I would let him go before I left, but you can deal with him. Later.”

I looked over the case report. The kid’s name was Flash Sentry, a dark yellow pegasus with a blue mane. He’s barely out of high school and already in jail. Lucky for him, he didn’t break or steal anything. It was barely even a form of trespassing. I think Nightingale put him in there just to scare the daylights out of him. Captain Iron Side had apparently already tried that. He already had two other run-ins, once for stealing a record and once for trespassing. Maybe I could do something about him.

I walked to the holding cell and told the guard to give me some time with Flash. He gave me a weird look at first, but then realized that he couldn’t argue. Flash was sleeping on the bed in the cell.

“Wake up, kid!” I shouted. Flash immediately jumped out of the bed.

“Holy fuck, are you trying to give me a fucking heart attack?”

“Easily startled?”

“Are you here to let me out? That other guy said he’d let me out in the morning.”

“In a moment. What are you doing here?”

“Why do you give a fuck? I’m leaving soon anyway.”

“You’re in my cell and you tried breaking into my favorite café. Not only that, but I looked at your file and you’ve been in here a few times.”

“Big fucking deal.”

“You just graduated, and I’m going to guess you barely made it out of there. You have your life ahead of you and decide to spend it in here?”

“I get it. I’m a fuck up. What’s your point?”

“Just putting everything in front of you. We’ll get you out of here as soon as possible. I sent a guard to get your parents and you can leave when they straighten everything out.”

“Wait, what? Why do my parents have to be here? I’m 18. I’m an adult now.”

“This is your third time. Someone has to bail you out.”

“Then get one of my fucking friends or a teacher or anyone else. Just please not my parents.”

“Why not?”

“I told them I was spending the night at a friend’s house. They have no idea that I’ve even been arrested once. Just please don’t tell my mom.” There was a look of fear, desperation, and regret on his face. Not to sound cruel, but that was I was looking for.

“Look kid, your parents are not coming. I didn’t send a guard and I’m going to let you go. I wanted you to see how what you did is doing to your family. You see how desperate you were to make sure they didn’t find out? You can still make a change in your life. I’m not asking you to become a guard or a saint, just for you to straighten up and fly right. Can you do that for me?”

“I’ll try.”

“That’s not enough. You can try anything and fail and no one will say anything about it. Promise me that you will straighten up.”

“Fine, whatever. I promise I won’t get into trouble anymore. Can you let me go now?”

I got the keys from the guard’s desk and opened the cell. Walking Flash out of the castle, I warned him that this was his last chance and if I ever found him in my cell again, he’s not going to get off as easy. I walked back to my office to try and get some work done before the Saddle Arabia guests arrived. There was still two stacks of applicants for the other two branches and I also had to ask a favor of one of the castle’s personal workers.

My job had to come first, however, so I took the first stack to the military branch, which was led by Lieutenant Foxtrot. Lieutenant Foxtrot is the first mare to lead the branch. She was given the job last year for being a major part of stopping a war with the dragons during negotiation over the dragons’ hoarding. Since then, she has proven to be a great leader, focusing on preventing wars over fighting them.

“Captain Golden,” she said as I walked into her office, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Got some new applicants for you. Fifty ponies want in, but we can only train thirteen.  I’ll be here if you need my help.”

“No I think I got it, I mean how hard could it really be to pick out a few ponies? You get back to your job.”

“Alright, but there was one more thing I wanted to ask you.”

“Shoot.”

“How would you want somepony to propose to you?”

“Thinking about popping the question to the cellist?”

“Yeah, but I want to make it perfect. So if you could, how would you plan your own proposal?”

“Golden, I have met your future wife twice now, and I think I know her. Trust me, I want something that Octavia would completely hate. What you need to do is make her feel like she is the only mare that matters and you need to do it in the fanciest way possible. Why don’t you ask her during the gala?”

“The gala isn’t for another few months.”

“Sometimes you have to wait. Do you even have a ring?”

“I was going to the castle’s personal jeweler to get one.”

“Just think about it. I’ll drop the files off on your desk before I leave. Later Captain.”

I always liked talking to Foxtrot as she was like a sane Vinyl. I still like talking to Vinyl, but she always likes to add in a joke when I need to talk about something serious. Foxtrot was always formal yet informal. She was a leader when she needed to be and a friend when the time called for it..

I looked at a clock and saw that I still had some time before the Saddle Arabian guests show up. So I had a choice, I could go ask the jeweler to make something for Octavia or give the applications to Head Detective Homes. Homes is a bit older and has been going over applications for years now. Picking new recruits should should be more or less of the same process as Foxtrot. Get in, get out.

The detective branch was on the other side of the castle, however, so I had to go to my office to get the files and the coffee that Shining apparently left on my desk, and then walk all the way to his office. The jeweler wasn’t that far away from his office anyway.

“Come in,” Homes said when I knocked on his door. “Captain Golden! Is it that magical time of the year?”

“Got the applications right here. You can hire ten.” I dropped the folders on his desk and started to walk out.

“Hold on there,” He said as I was about to leave. Damn. “I need some help this time. I’ll admit, I’ve gotten old and a little disconnected with Canterlot. I need a young stallion like you to pick out the good from the bad.”

I did the math in my head. I could go through about half the stack and still have time to greet the guests. I shrugged my shoulder and sat down next to Homes as we split the pile about 50/50. I really did not want to read these. Detectives are some of the most arrogant ponies in the Royal Guard, but they have the right to be, to an extent. Because of magic, some crimes are way harder to solve than they should be. When a detectives solves a difficult case, most ponies would agree that he’s won bragging right for at most two days. The problem is the word “difficult.” It’s a little vague and most of them will brag when they solved a case in less than an hour.

Because there were two ponies working on this, and there was a significantly less number of applicants, Homes and I finished in time for me to meet the guests. I handed him the four I picked out. I felt that these were the most clever and ingenious of them all. He put them in a pile with the six that he picked out. Homes thanked me before I left, saying that he should be able to cut one more. I checked a clock one more time. I had about five minutes before the guests arrive.

Thankfully, I was able to arrive at the landing area with minutes to spare. The three princesses were already waiting for them along with a few other members of Canterlot’s high society across from the princess. I stood next to Celestia, which was the only spot that would make the two lines symmetrical.

“Glad you made it,” Princess Celestia whispered to me.

“It’s my job, isn’t it?”

“More or less. Can you clear something up for me?”

“What?”

“I heard that you’re going to ask Octavia to marry you.”

“Really? Foxtrot cannot keep her mouth shut for that long?” I started to wonder how I was going to get her back, but I ended up ignoring it. “Yes, I am going to propose to Octavia. I have this big plan that might take a while.”

“Yeah, I’m not going to let you do this.”

“What?” I said a bit louder. “I’m a grown stallion, and I can do what I want. Why can’t I ask my marefriend to marry me?”

“Because it means you’re growing up. I already let you have a marefriend and let you move out. I’m not going to let my son get married until I’m ready to let go.” I smiled and blushed a little when I realized she was joking. “See me in the throne right after you show the guests their rooms. I have something I want to give you.”

The carriages started to land as the fanfare started to play. There were three dignitaries, a stallion, with a dark yellow coat and red mane, a mare, who was a shade lighter than Luna and black mane, and another, mare, with a light pink coat and a contrasting dark purple mane, who looked as if she was about seventeen or eighteen. I’ve never met anypony from Saddle Arabia, or ever seen them for that matter. I was amazed to see how different they were. They looked more slender and taller than the ponies in Equestria. Their faces were more pointed, which was both weird and beautiful in its own way.

“Princesses!” The colt said as he hugged Cadence. His name was King Crown Guard. His family started off as guards for the king and his family, protecting them at all cost. When the last king died, there were no sons or daughters to take his place, so they appointed the highest ranking member as king or queen. “It is a pleasure to see you again. I don’t know if you remember me, but we first met when you were just a little filly.”

“I remember,” Cadence said with a smile. She was thinking about the time he played with us during his last visit. He happened to have  a meeting scheduled during that time, and the guards went on high alert and went looking for him.

“And you Princess Luna,” the mare, Queen Light Shield, said, “Saddle Arabia gladly welcomes the return of the Princess of the Night.” Unlike her husband, the queen was more former and ladylike. She showed her excitement with her eyes and a smile, rather than her husband’s exclamations.

“Thank you,” Luna said. “I have heard great tales your home and I’m curious to learn about your culture.”

“Princess Celestia,” the king said with the younger mare next to him, “allow me to introduce my daughter, Princess Desert Blossom.” Desert started to look away from Celestia and went out of her way to not make eye contact.

“Is everything alright, sweetie?” Princess Celestia asked as she got to her eye level.

“I’m sorry Princess, my daughter is a little shy.”

“I can assure you,” Celestia said to Desert, “there is nothing to be shy about. You’re among friends.” Desert smiled at Celesta and thanked her.

“Sir,” I said. The king turned to me, smiled, and hugged me. He was stronger than I remembered and his hug knocked the breath out of me.

“Prince Golden Shield!” He shouted after letting go of me.

“Actually, it’s Captain Golden Shield now.”

“We had heard about your promotion,” the queen said to me. “We would like to congratulate you by giving you a gift.” She snapped her fingers and a servant came forward with a blue, metal, gem-encrusted flower. “This flower is a symbol wisdom, something we believe is needed for a pony in your position.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll have Wardworth make sure it arrives at my office in one piece. I have been asked to show you to your rooms.”

I lead the guests through the halls like I did so many time before. As always, they wanted to stop and look over all the small details the architect put into the castle. It became mundane to me and most of the castle staff, but I wouldn’t take that experience away from anypony. It meant slightly slowing down, but I didn’t mind.

“This is your room, your highnesses,” I said as I opened the door. “You’ll find your luggage already in the dresser. If there is anything you need, I’ve instructed the guards to serve you or find somepony that can.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Prince Golden Shield,” the queen said. She bowed her head to me and I did the same.

“Princess Desert Blossom, I’ll take you to your room now.” She didn’t say anything back to me. She didn’t even look at me. I walked out of the room and she followed a few steps behind. It was interesting as she was the first pony that either didn’t care about the castle or took the time to see the details.

“You know you can trust me,” I said as we walked down the hall.

“I know,” she said softly. “It’s just that most ponies always see me as nothing more than a princess. Most ponies who said they were my friends, were lying to me because they were hoping I would give them money or invite them to some high-class party.”

“I know that feeling.”

“Really?”

“When I was in school, ponies always wanted to be my friend for no reason than to say they have a prince for a friend. Not only that, but mares would constantly flirt with me and would ask me out. They probably didn’t even like me. I’m almost positive they just wanted a shot at being a Princess.”

“So you do understand what it’s like to be me. Can I ask you something, Prince Golden Shield?”

“First, it’s Captain Golden Shield. Second, you can just call me Golden.”

“It is a sign of respect in our culture to call elders by their full title, using their highest rank in a case like yours. Anyway, do you have any friends? And I mean real friends.”

“Yeah, but only a few. I met most of them in the first grade and we’ve been best friends ever since. What about you, do you have any real friends?”

“Yes and no.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there is this one colt that I’ve been friends with for a long time. He actually likes me for me. He doesn’t care that I’m a princess and he’s sweet and nice and smart and…he’s perfect.”

“You like him, don’t you?”

“It’s more than just liking him. I love him, but I don’t know if he sees me that way. And if he doesn’t, then I’m going to make everything awkward. I think it would be best to stay as friends.”

“You know, I felt the same way about my marefriend. She was one of the ponies I met in the first grade and we were best friends. For the longest time, I didn’t want to do anything to mess up our friendship, even though I loved her. When we did talk about we felt each other, I was learned that I had to take the risk. I’m glad that we did because we’ve never been happier.”

“But, what if he doesn’t feel the same way?”

“You can’t think that way. Trust me, if he’s the only pony at your school that treats you as a pony instead of a princess then he has to see something more than just a friend. At least talk to him.”

“Okay, I’ll try”

“Here’s your room. If you need anything, ask a guard and they will either help you or they will find somepony who can.”

“Thank you Prince Golden Shield.”

She smiled at me and walked into her room. It felt nice to help out some pony out, especially if you could do it twice in one day.

“Well she was quite the looker,” the drill in my ear said.

“Where you following us, Blueblood?”

“Prince Blueblood!”

“Yeah, I’m Captain of the Royal Guard now, I can call you whatever I want.”

“You will call me Prince Blueblood or else.”

“Or else what? You’re going to throw me in our fictitious dungeon? Now, what do you want?”

“Just making friends with a guest.”

“Blueblood, don’t do anything stupid.”

“When have I ever done anything stupid?”

“Forcing yourself on Angel, making her pick between you and me, mainly having anything to do mares. Just please remember that we are aligned with Saddle Arabia. If you make one mistake, you could single handedly blow it all up.”

“Don’t worry porter, I’ll play nice.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. I wanted to say and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid, which I’m sure was going to happen, but I had other things to do. It also helped that Princess Desert closed the door on him.

Shortly after the guests returned to Saddle Arabia, I got a letter from Desert. She said that she told her friend how she felt and truly opened up to him. She was afraid that she lost a friend when he at first didn’t respond, but then he kissed her. She thanked me and sent me another flower, this one meaning friendship and loyalty.

I remembered that Celestia needed to talk to me, but I still had to go to the jeweler and I had to leave soon so I can get ready for Octavia’s parents’ anniversary. Getting a ring might be more important, but I can’t ignore a direct order from a princess.

“You wanted to see me Princess Celestia?” I said as I entered the throne room.

“Captain Golden, how did our guests enjoy the castle?”

“They enjoyed everything about it. What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Please follow me to my private chambers.”

Celestia led me to her room, which was conveniently connected to her throne room. Her room, which was shared with Luna, was kept clean. Luna was sleeping, but that was normal. Most of the time, unless there was something important, Luna would sleep through the day so she could watch Canterlot at night.

“You said you had something for me?” I said when the door behind me closed.

“Take this,” Celestia said. She gave me a ring with the words ‘I will love you forever’ engraved in it. There was a place that looked like it could hold a diamond, but it looked like the gem was taken out. “The farmer gave me this ring before he died. I’ve been holding onto it for years now. I want you to have it.”

“I can’t take this, mom. It’s one of the only things you have to remember the farmer.”

“It’s a symbol of love, Golden. If you really love Octavia like I believe you do, then I need you to give it to her. This was precious to me because it always reminded me of all the good times we shared. It’s my responsibility to share this with my son.” I looked it over once more and realized she was right.

“Thank you mom.”

“You’re welcome, Golden. Now go to the jeweler and pick out a gem.”

I smiled at Celestia and hugged. Finally I can go to the jeweler and actually start my plan for my proposal. I was lucky enough to make it to the jeweler before he left. The jeweler’s name is Gem Encrusted and he has been working for the castle for most of his life. He usually works with the castle tailor to make beautiful dresses for the castle’s residents. He is also known for working with top of the line clothes makers, even going as far as winning fashion week in Manehatten.

“Captain Golden,” he said, “what brings you here?”

“I need you to put a gem in this setting.” I handed over the ring and he started to examine it.

“‘I will love you forever.’ I take it this is not yours?”

“My mom gave it to me. She wants me to use it to propose to Octavia.”

“So, you’re finally going to ask the question. After 18 years of knowing each other, you two are going to tie the knot.”

“Yes, and I need it to be perfect. That’s why I need you to find the perfect gem for this setting. Can you do that for me?”

“Golden, I put Prim Hemline where she is today. Velvet Gown wouldn’t be on the cover of every fashion magazine if it wasn’t for my gem work. I think I can find you the perfect gem, but it’s going to take some time. When were you planning on asking?”

“I’d like to ask her as soon as possible, but asking her at the Grand Galloping Gala would be perfect.”

“I think can get something that she will love by the gala.”

“You are a miracle worker. How much do I owe you?”

“No charge.”

“Come on, Gem. I can’t let you just give it to me.”

“I’m not just doing this for you. I’m doing this for love. There is nothing more beautiful in this world than two ponies who found each other and want to live together. If you really want to pay me back, then promise me that you’ll stay with her. Marriage isn’t something that ponies should just get into. It’s a sacred bond a promise that you make to each other. Promise me that you will stay with her and I’ll do this for free.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, Gem. I love Octavia more than anything else in the world. If I had to, I would give up my position.”

“That’s what I like to hear. I’ll keep you updated.”

“Thanks Gem.”

I left with a smile as the first part of my plan was complete. I went back to my office to make sure everything was fine before I left. The princesses or the guests didn’t need anything, and Nightingale got here by the time I was ready to leave.

Octavia and I were going to meet her parents at their first date restaurant in about an hour. That gave me just the right amount of time to go to the apartment, change into a suit, and groom myself. When I did get home, Octavia was sitting on the couch reading a book and already dressed and ready to go. She was wearing a simple long black dress and a pair of matching gloves.

“You look fantastic,” I said as I walked through the door.

“You know, you say that so much it’s starting to lose all meaning.”

“Really?”

“No. You can say it to me every hour of every day, and I will still believe you.” She got off the couch to give me a hug and a kiss. “How was your day?” We moved our conversation to the bedroom so we can talk and I can still change.

“Besides the paperwork, fantastic. I hopefully set a kid on the right track and helped the Saddle Arabian princess. It’s actually a cute story.”

“What was it?”

“She has one friend in Saddle Arabia who doesn’t treat her like a princess and she is in love with him. I told her about us and how we got together.”

“That’s sweet.”

“I just hope that Blueblood doesn’t do anything to mess it up. He was creeping around her room when I left.”

“If she has any common sense then it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“What about you? How was your day?”

“Not as great as yours. Signed fired another violinist for ‘not playing on my level’.”

“That’s the third one and the concert is in less than a week.”

“I know, but she promised to find somepony new before the concert. And this pony will be able to ‘keep up with me’, whatever that means.”

“Well, they’re not the main attraction. So long as you’re perfect, and that’s like asking a bird to fly, everything will go great. How do I look?”

I was wearing a black suit with a white undershirt. There was a matching black tie, but it was loose. I always did this because Octavia liked to tighten it. She smiled at me and walked towards me to tighten my tie. She did and then pulled me into a kiss. I love it when she does that.

“I think you look like a strapping young stallion.”

We walked into the living room where Vinyl was listening to a record through a pair of headphones. She took off the headphones when she saw us so she could talk to us.

“Where are you two going?”

“My parents’ anniversary dinner. We’re going to be back late.”

“So, let me get this straight: you two are going to be gone for the night, Coco is visiting her parents, and I have the night off?”

“Looks like it,” I said.

“Finally! I get a night to myself. I don’t have to worry about waking up Coco and I don’t have to hear you two going like wild animals.”

“For the last time, Vinyl, we’re not that loud. And at least we try to keep the noise level down, unlike somepony,” Octavia said. She was referring to a string of one night stands. They were just drunken mistakes, but the last few colts she’s brought home have shared a special quality.

“Look, if I knew they were going to make those awful noises, I would have never slept with them. The point is, I get this place to myself. You two should go, like right now. Please.”

Octavia and I smiled and left Vinyl alone. Octavia and I walked through the city as the sun was setting. I was standing at the perfect angle so the last beam of light hit her perfectly. We arrived at the restaurant, a small, family owned place that has been around as long as I could remember.

“Mom, Dad,” Octavia said. She ran forward to give her parents a hug. “Happy anniversary.”

“Thank you, Octavia,” Mrs. Strings said.

“Mrs. Stings, Mr. Symphony, happy anniversary,” I said giving them a hug and handshake respectively.

“Thanks Golden,” Mr. Symphony said. “Or should I say Captain Golden?”

“Please, this is your night. Let’s not talk about my job.”

After a little more conversation, the four of us entered the restaurant. It wasn’t anything too fancy, but it was still nice. Octavia’s parents have been coming here for so long that they are on a first name basis with the owners, a sweet and loveable mare trying to keep her head above the water. To celebrate their anniversary, the owner decided to comp our meal.

“How did you two meet anyway?” I asked while we were waiting on our food.

“I first met Harmonic our first year of high school and I knew that she was the one for me. She, however, didn’t want a thing to do with me or my friends.”

“To be fair, your friends were snobs.”

“Only to strangers, dear. Anyway, I asked her out the moment I saw her and of course she said ‘no’. And then again the next day and the day after that. I sent her gifts, flowers, notes, anything you could think of just so she would say ‘yes’ to one date.”

“It didn’t stop for two whole years,” Mrs. Strings picked up, “but I didn’t want anything to do with him or his friends. Soprano finally asked me to junior prom and I said ‘yes’ because my date said he found someone ‘hotter’.”

“I’m sure he still regrets that decision, dear.”

“Soprano turned out to be the perfect gentleman. He showed me the time of my life and I decided to go on an actual date with him. He took me here and that’s when I fell in love with him. We started to play together and our manager, may he rest in peace, discovered us. We started to tour together when we got out of high school. A few years later, he surprised me with an on-stage proposal.”

“Wow,” I said. “That’s a beautiful story.”

“It’s your turn,” Mrs. Strings said, “how did you two get together?”

“Octavia told us a little, but we want to hear your side of the story.”

“And don’t worry, we know about you two sharing a bed when you were in high school.”

“It was the night before her concert and Octy couldn’t sleep. She said that she felt homesick and wanted something to remind her of Canterlot. She asked if she could sleep with me, and I said yes. Now, the night before is when I realized that I wanted more than just a friendship with your daughter, but I always felt something towards her. The next morning, we talked about it and we decided to start officially dating. After her concert, I took her to a late night picnic next to the Applewood sign and I shouted, from the top of that hill: ‘I love Octavia Melody.’”

Octavia’s parents were smiling and I think Mrs. Strings was on the verge of crying. Our food came shortly after. We continued to talk between bites. The owner came by every so often to ask about the food to make sure everything was perfect. I had to admit, this food could compete with Chef Celery Stalk. A dessert came shortly after, which was a small personal sundae made with homemade ice cream. It was perfect.

After the dinner, Octavia’s parents invited us to their house for some coffee, which Octavia accepted in an instant. She loved her parents and would always take any chance she gets to spend time with them. I didn’t mind because I liked her parents too. There was something about them that made ponies gravitate towards them. There was a warmth in their smiles and always made you feel welcome. Well, there was that and I still have to ask for their blessing.

When we got to Octavia’s former home, Mr. Symphony asked to see me in his study. This couldn’t have gone better.

“Thank you for coming out tonight,” he said as the door closed.

“It was my pleasure, sir. I love spending time with Octy and her family.”

“Golden, I need you to be honest with me.”

“I mean it, sir. You’ve welcomed me into your home for years and I am grateful.”

“Not that. You have something on your mind and I want you to tell me because I have a feeling that it has something to do with my daughter.”

“What makes you say that, sir?”

“I’ve travelled around Equestria, meeting new ponies and picking up a few tricks. One thing I learned is when somepony is distracted by something eating away at them. So, that’s on your mind?”

“You know I love your daughter more than I love my job.”

“Of course.”

“I want to ask Octavia to marry me. I know how much you and Mrs. Strings mean to her, so it would mean the world to both of us if I could get your blessing.”

“No.”

“What?” I almost couldn’t believe he said ‘No’. I was waiting for him to crack a smile or start laughing, but it never came.

“I’m sorry Golden, but I can’t give you my blessing.”

“Why not, sir?”

“I don’t feel like you’re ready for marriage. You just got what is probably one of the hardest jobs in Equestria and you want to pile a wedding on top of that. Not only that, but Octavia has concerts. She can’t plan a wedding and play for millions of ponies at the same time. Her mane will turn gray.”

“But sir, I-”

“I said ‘no’ Golden. Maybe in a few more years, but not now.”

“Okay, sir. I will respect your wishes, but I will get your blessing and soon. My goal is to marry Octavia with your blessing, and if Captain Iron Side taught me anything, it’s never give up on your goals.”

“Good luck with that,”

“Boys,” Mrs. Strings’ muffled voice said, “the coffee is ready.”

The rest of the night was enjoyable. I didn’t bring the subject up again, although I did consider it. I knew I could get Mrs. Strings blessing easily. I didn’t want to start a fight or force an answer out of Mr. Symphony. It didn’t stop me, however. Every day, on my way to the apartment, I would stop by Octavia’s parent’s home. I would just simply ask Mr. Symphony for his blessing. I even asked him before and after Octavia’s concert, which was so good that the guests wanted Octavia to record a record for her. Signed saw this as a chance to make bags of money, so Octavia recorded her first record, making a special one just for the guests.

I did continued to ask Mr. Symphony for a while. Before I knew it, the gala was right around the corner. Gem was able to get me the ring, but I had to get that blessing soon if I wanted to propose at the gala. I went to the home to ask again, but there was no answer. It seemed odd, but maybe they went out to dinner.

After dinner that night, Vinyl, Coco, Octavia, and I wanted to watch a movie that was just released for sale. It was about a pony who wanted to put together a baseball team, but he wanted to do it in a way that no one has ever seen. In the middle of the movie, there was a knock on the door, which I answered.

“Nightingale,” I said as I opened the door, “what brings you here?” He looked like he was out of breath and concerned about something.

“I need to talk to Octavia about something extremely important. Please tell me she’s here.”

“Octy,” I said over my shoulder, “Nightingale needs to talk to you.”

Vinyl paused the movie. The three mares had a confused look on their faces, especially Octavia.

“What’s wrong?” Octavia asked as she approached the door.

“It’s your father. He got really sick and was admitted to the hospital. He said he wanted to see his daughter before his time.”

“My father is dying?” Octavia said. She looked like she was about to break down crying over this news. I put my arm around her and held her close as I too started to tear up. Although he didn’t give me his blessing, Soprano Symphony is still a great stallion. He’s a loving father and husband and was recently offered a job teaching music theory at Star Swirl Academy.

“He might not be. The doctors aren’t really sure what’s wrong with him, but he wants to see you just in case.”

“I have to go,” Octavia said through her tears.

“I’m going with you,” I said.

“I’m going too,” Vinyl said as she stood up from the couch. “Mr. Symphony has been like a second father to me.”

“I’m coming,” Coco said. “You need as much support as you can get.”

“I’m going to fly Octavia there, so she can have as much time as possible with her father.”

Octavia didn’t argue because she wanted to see her father. She climbed on Nightingale’s back and I reassured her that everything was going to be fine. After making sure that she was secure, Nightingale took off, flying faster than we were able to run. The three of us remaining ran to the hospital as fast as we could.

When we did get to the hospital and Mr. Symphony’s room, he was lying in the bed, hooked up to machines and looking weak. He was petting Octavia’s head, while she rested it next to her sobbing. It was muffled, but you could hear Octavia say “Don’t die daddy. You can’t die.” I took a seat next to Octavia and again put my arms around her.

“Sweetie,” he said to Octavia, “I need to talk to Golden in private. Go make sure your mother is okay.”

“Okay. I love you daddy.” Octavia said as she slowly raised her head. I helped her stand up and Coco and Vinyl helped her walk out of the room.

“I’m sorry to see you like this, sir,” I said when the girls left.

“Enough with the ‘sir’ crap,” he said. “You’ve been a part of my family for years now. Call me dad.” He started to cough and some sort of mucus came out of his mouth, which I helped clean up. “Ask me one more time.”

“What?”

“Ask me for my blessing one more time.”

“Can I have your blessing to marry your daughter?”

“Yes,” he said with a smile.

“I know I’m looking a gift horse in the mouth, but why the sudden change of heart?”

“I don’t know if I’m going to make it out of here, Golden.”

“Don’t think like that si…dad.”

“It’s true. The damn doctors don’t even know what I have. Anyway, if I do die, then I’ll leave a massive hole in Octavia’s heart. I need you to fill it. My daughter loves you more than any other pony, so I need you to take my spot. You’re one of the only ponies in this world that can make her smile. And if I do make it out of here, then I want to see my daughter’s wedding. Can you do that for me?”

“Of course. I promise you, when you make it out of here, you won’t regret it.”

“Good, now send Vinyl in. I want to talk to my second daughter.”

I left the room and found the girls in the waiting room, Octavia and her mother leaning on each other crying. Vinyl and Coco were trying to comfort them in any way they could. I told Vinyl that Mr. Symphony wanted to see her. I took her place and started to comfort Octavia. I wish there was something more I could have done. Then I saw it.

“Doctor!” I yelled as I ran out the door. Lucky, they stopped right in front of Mr. Symphony’s room.

“Ah, Golden,” The doctor said. “Let me introduce my father. He’s also a doctor.”

“Doctor, thank god you’re here. I need you to do me a favor.”

“There something strange about this one,” The Doctor’s father said.

“He’s fine, dad. What do you need?”

“In that room is Soprano Symphony. He is very sick and the other doctors don’t know what’s wrong with him. I know that if anypony can figure it out, it’s you. Please Doctor, I can pay you whatever you want.”

The Doctor and his father looked at each other and smiled.

“Golden, you know I love a good challenge.”

“And if one doctor can figure it out,” The Doctor’s father said, “then two doctors should be able to figure it out faster.”

I watched The Doctors through a window. They introduced themselves and started to run some simple, noninvasive test on him. Through the door, you could hear the two stallions tossing out ideas and then shooting them down. This went on for about five minutes, before they figured it out. Then they both looked at each other and said some scientific name for an illness. They ran one more test to confirm their suspension. They again smiled at each other and then The Doctor wrote something down on a piece of paper.

“Nurse!” The Doctor said as he poked his head out of the door. He gave the paper to the first nurse that walked by. “I need you to start this pony on this STAT. His life may depend on it.”

“You figured it out?” I asked.

“He’s going to be just fine. I’m not going to bore you with the science mumbo jumbo, so I’ll give you the simplified version. He has a rare genetic disease that would have destroyed every muscle in his body. We’re going to give him some medicine that should stop it for a while, but he’s going to have to take pills for the rest of his life.”

“Wait, it’s a genetic disease? Does that mean it can happen to Octavia?”

“No, for two reasons. One: It’s a recessive gene, meaning that both of her parents need to have it. We could test her mother to be sure, but it’s unnecessary. This disease seems to only affect males for some unknown reason. So there is a zero percent chance of her being affected by it.”

“Thank you so much, Doctor. Whatever you want, I’ll pay.”

“There’s no need for that, Golden. Just let me break the news to the family.”

The Doctor and I walked out the waiting room where Octavia and her mom’s crying started to die down. The Doctor got down to their eye level and told them what happened. The mares started to cry harder, but they were tears of joy. I had everything I needed to ask Octavia the question, but the gala is coming up. Everything will be perfect if I just wait.
> Chapter 27: Gala
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Grand Galloping Gala is one of the biggest and most famous events in all of Equestria. One of the only nights where ponies from all over Equestria gather and see the beauty of Canterlot and its beautiful castle. The lucky ticket holders even get to meet Princess Celestia. The one night where ponies, who would have never met under any other circumstances, meet and become lifelong friends. A night where new love is born, old love is rekindled, and present lovers share a beautiful night.

It was also extremely boring.

It’s just really ponies enjoying a night out with Canterlot elite. The only real way to have fun is to bring friends and just hang out. At most, you would really get to talk to one or two ponies that you didn’t know and that lifelong friend thing only happens every once in a while. Ponies here rarely leave their circle of friends and/or associates and the only real thing that brings ponies together is the small concert played by four ponies.

This night, however, was going to be different. Cadence and Shining weren’t going to be there, as Cadence was asked to attend a show in Manehatten and she asked Shining to be her personal guard, but Spitfire and Soarin were going to be back in town. Since leaving, the two started an acrobatic flying team called “The Wonderbolts” and the team has since skyrocketed in popularity. There have even been talks of them opening up their own academy.

Not only that, but tonight is going to be the best night ever. After Octavia performs, I’m going to take the stage and ask her to marry me. I’ve been planning for this for a few months now and there is absolutely no way for any of this to go wrong and she’s going to love everything about it. Octavia’s going to get plenty of attention, she’s going to get a lovely story, and she’s even going to love her ring.

Gem out did himself this time. He told me that it took him a while to find something to put in the center of Celestia’s ring. His first intention was to shape an amethyst crystal into Octavia’s cutie mark and reshape the setting to make it fit, but he was suddenly inspired by a package. A few weeks before I asked him to help with the ring, Gem did some work for Prim Hemline. She was so grateful that she sent him a few gems for his own personal use and one of them was a black, transparent diamond. He already had the amethyst formed perfectly and the setting was untouched. Gem worked his magic and encased the amethyst into the diamond and gave it a bit of a glow and when the sun hits the ring just right, you can see Octavia’s cutie mark shining through it.

I went to work that day promising Octavia that we would meet up before she had to perform. I made sure to take the ring with me so she wouldn’t accidently stumble across it, taking extra precaution by putting a cloaking spell over it and walking to work alone. There was a bit of skip in my step and smile on my face as there was nothing that could bring me down.

“Porter,” Nothing said the second I took a seat at my desk, “My tux hasn’t arrived yet. See to it that I get it by 3 o’clock.” Velvet Gown had made special suits and dresses for the castle staff, royal guards, and Princess Celestia, but it appears no pony had told her about Blueblood.

I wasn’t on real good terms with Blueblood recently. I know we’re never on good terms, but he did something that really pissed me off. Octavia wanted to surprise me one day, so she came to the castle and took me out to lunch. I asked her to wait until I finished some paperwork which was really just reading a few things and making sure that I wasn’t about to sign anything that meant we were going to war. When I did finish, Blueblood was hitting on Octavia outside my office. Luckily, she was repulsed by Blueblood and shot him down. Since then, however, he’s has always asked me about her.

“I’ll see to it,” I said, trying to get him out of my office as quickly as I could.

“Oh and about that mare, Octave, do you know her bra size?”

“First, her name is Octavia. Second, get out.”

“What’s wrong, Porter?”

“You’re hitting on my marefriend, I’ve told you that about a hundred times.”

“I don’t see a ring on her finger.”

“There is. I gave it to her senior year when we went to prom. She never takes it off.”

“So it’s not a wedding ring, which means that she is still available. You know what I say? No ring, no commitment.”

“That makes absolutely no sense. This is the last time I’m going to tell you. Octavia is my marefriend. Back off or else I’ll make you back off.”

“I get it. You just don’t anypony evading on your harem.”

“My what?”

“Don’t act like you don’t have a harem. How many times have you slept with that DJ or that fashion designer? I bet you gave it hard to one of them last night.”

“You’re a pig.”

“That’s not a no…”

“No, I didn’t sleep with Vinyl or Coco. They’re my friends. Now leave me alone.”

“Fine, but how about a little wager. First one to sleep with the cellist will be exclusively her’s.”

“Blueblood, some colt already tried that when we were in high school and it did not end pretty for him. Besides, she is disgusted by you.”

“So, then take the bet. If she is as disgusted by me as you say she is then it’s an easy victory.”

“Blueblood, I have work to do. Go bother someone else.”

He said something under his breath, but I didn’t really care. I quickly sent word to the castle tailor to find something for him and say it was from Velvet, as he wouldn’t even think to look for a violet G.  I started working, which started with assigning guards for tonight. As a rite of passage, all first years must be on guard tonight. Seeing as how only eight made it through the last summer training session, I had to decide who was guarding the city tonight. I started looking for the ponies I knew had no interest in the gala. Luckily, there are always a few that volunteer and others that take the job because a bonus is offered tonight, however, all guards are given two free tickets. A guard, for the most part, won’t even use them and will gladly trade them in for the extra bits.

While I was working, Philomena came in and dropped a letter on my desk that was from Cadence sent from Manehatten. I was always grateful for having Philomena around because she was always there for me. I taught her to respond to a spell and she built her endurance so she could fly for miles and miles with no break. She has also recently started to pull pranks with her molting cycles and annoying my guards. I would have told her to stop, but I find it way too entertaining.

I gave Philomena a treat and opened the letter.

Dear Golden Shield,

Shining made me promise to wait until we got back to Canterlot, but I’m just too excited. I begged and begged and he told me that I could at the very least tell you. Shining proposed to me! I know, I can’t believe it either. We were at the performance of the 100th casting of “Spector of the Opera” and when the show ended, the pony playing The Spector called attention to our box. That’s when Shining got down on a knee, pulled out the felt box and asked me to marry him. Of course I said “Yes!” I couldn’t stop saying that magical three letter word. Not only that, but I’ve might of heard a rumor back in Canterlot.

I know you’re about to ask Octavia the same question. I know that she will be as excited as I was and it is going to be just as amazing of a moment. The second we get back to Canterlot you have to tell me the story. Oh, and tell Octavia that I cannot wait to plan our weddings together. This is going to be the best experiences of our lives.

With Much Love and Wishing You the Best of Luck
Princess Cadence

I smiled as I read the letter. Shining had told me his plans shortly after I failed to get her parent’s blessing. I told him that I had also planned to ask my marefriend to marry me and we got a little worried. The last thing we wanted was to have our weddings compete and our marefriends try and outdo each other. Then we remembered that they became extremely good friends since graduation and would want to go through this together.

While I was happy for Cadence, I still had to get some work done before the gala. I did actually get a good amount done before my suit arrived at my office and there wasn’t anything real fancy about it. The only thing that stands out is the violet G, and you had to be looking for that. I did a little more looking and found the inside of the jacket was lined with a gold silk. I smiled because Velvet tried to make it a little more personal. I did a little more searching and came across a pocket. This one was inside the jacket and completely hidden. If I didn’t do a little more searching, I probably wouldn’t have found it. I reached in and found a note.

Princess Celestia told me about your plan. This pocket is the perfect size for a felt box and completely hidden so you can show off the inside of the jacket. Rooting for you.

-VG

So apparently every pony except for Octavia had heard of my plans. I couldn’t be mad. They were just trying to help. I pulled the box out of my pocket and put it in the jacket. I looked over and saw one last pile of early applications for the spring training session. I never figured out why the previous captains never accepted applications year-round. Now I’m reading applications for about a fourth of the day once every other week, but I would rather be doing that then spending a whole day on it. On the other hand, this did mean that we would have to keep track of the accepted ponies

Anyway, I looked at the stack of applications and decided they could wait. They’re not going to get their letters until Hearth's Warming anyway. I changed into my suit, taking a final look to make sure the box was hidden. Velvet truly knows clothing as you couldn’t even see the box even if you’re looking for it.

There was only about an hour to an hour and a half before the guests were scheduled to arrive. I took a quick look at the schedule and saw that the ponies playing tonight were rehearsing in the main hall. I decided to surprise Octavia and watch her practice.

The quartet was made up with a cellist, of course, a pianist, a tuba player, and a harpist. The pianist was Concerto, which would have made me feel uncomfortable, but he had changed. I know in high school, I compared him to Blueblood. He has proven me wrong on all accounts and I’m proud to admit that I was wrong. When he was shut down by Octavia, he took a long look at himself. He saw how he was acting and didn’t like it. He apologized to me and Octavia for the way he acted and said that if he was going to win her heart, he was willing to wait for her. He waited for a few years and realized that we weren’t going break up anytime soon and moved on. He did find somepony else and the two are happy. We’ve even double dated with them.

The tuba player was named Beauty Brass. A relatively new and unknown in Canterlot’s music scene as this was Beauty’s first real concert because she plays the tuba which most ponies will argue has a too “unique” sound to have a solo concert. While this did discourage her a little, Beauty never gave up and tried to find any opportunity to play. Princess Celestia found her on the streets and believed her sound was perfect with the other two ponies that already confirmed their appearance. I believe this is what she needs to get her foot in the door because her tuba sounds perfect with the others.

Finally, there was Parish Nandermane, the harpist. He seemed to have the biggest ego of the group, but some might argue that he deserves it. Last year alone, he was named Pony Magazine’s sexist stallion alive, their second best classical musician, and one of their ponies to watch next year. Mares wanted him and stallions wanted to be him. Inviting him was almost a no brainer and he instantly accepted.

Octavia, however, stole the show. At first, Princess Celestia struggled with the fourth pony to round off the quartet. She considered violins, flutes, clarinets, and a few other instruments, but didn’t even come close to considering a cello. I suggested to invite Octavia, but she didn’t think a cello would work and I had to beg her to give her a try and even offered to reimburse everypony for their tickets if I was wrong. However, Octavia blew the door off the hinges and her cello worked perfectly with the piano, tuba, and harp.

Her performance wasn’t what made ponies want to watch her, however. It was her dress. Another Velvet Gown original, she wanted to take a risk on this dress, which made both Princess Celestia and myself uneasy. It worked out, however, and it is her best work. The dress both offers and encourages Octavia to move freely and play her heart out, even incorporating her now signature pink bow tie. It’s infused with magic and responds to the music and her movement. Her dress would actually change color to reflect her mood and the mood of the song, which made the show itself something that will definitely draw attention.

When I entered the room, Octavia was lost in her own music. When she did open her eyes and saw me watching her, she smiled and started playing a little more upbeat tone. When it came to her solo, her dress changed to show her happiness and both her dress and piece were beautiful. When they finished playing, Octavia put her cello in its stand, got off the stage as fast as she could, and ran to give me a hug. When she reached me, I picked her up and gave her a spin before giving her a kiss.

“You look fantastic,” she said when our lips parted.

“You know, you say that so much that it’s started to lose all meaning.” Octavia smiled and pulled me into a kiss.

“Awww,” Beauty said.

“Get a room,” Parish said.

“Go kiss your mirror,” Concerto said.

“How long have you two been married?” Beauty asked.

“Oh, we’re not married,” Octavia said. She sounded a little disappointed and wished that she could have answered a different way.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to start anything. I was just thought you were married because Octavia wears that ring and you can just feel how much you two love each other.”

“It’s fine,” Octavia said, this time sounding more comfortable with her responses. “I know that Golden loves me and we will be together no matter what. It doesn’t matter if we have a ring or title, we love each other.”

“That’s sweet. I hope that I can find somepony who loves me like how you love your coltfriend.”

“Are we here to socialize or to play?” Parish said.

“Let them enjoy each other’s company,” Concerto’s marefriend said. She apparently sneaked in while we talking. She was wearing a strapless dress that was mostly a light blue and a bit of black to support her breasts.

Acoustic Scale is a musician but not like the other ponies in this room. She plays the guitar and preforms mostly on the street. She says that she doesn’t need to be paid to reinforce her position in the music career. She first met Concerto when she was playing on the street and something about her caught his attention and he watched her play for hours. This went on for days, without the two of them saying a word, only smiling at each other. Concerto finally asked her on a date. He was a again captivated by her. He asked her on a second date and then a third, making them what they are today.

“It’s good to see you Acoustic, but he’s right. They need to practice.”

Acoustic and I walked out of the main room and started to catch up. I learned that she moved in with Concerto and they have been going strong with no break up in sight. As we were talking, ponies dressed their best started to line up. I looked out of a window and saw the sun start to lower and the moon start to take its place. Nightingale walked by seeming happy seeing as how he had to work the nights and had to miss the gala.

I advised Acoustic to go get in line before it got too long. As her son and the prince of Equestria, I had to stand with Princess Celestia and greet the guests, or at least I had to for the first half hour or so. She was the main attraction, not me.

I walked to the entrance hall and found Celestia at the top of a set of stairs. She was wearing Velvet’s Dress, which was an reimagining of her favorite dress. The dress, combined with her smile, was warm and inviting and told you that nothing bad will happen. I smiled back and took my place next to her.

“You look handsome,” she said.

“Thanks mom,” I said still smiling.

“Did Velvet do something special for your surprise?”

I opened up the jacket, pulled out the felt box, and handed it to her. She opened it and covered her mouth at the beauty of the ring.

“It’s beautiful,” She said as she closed the box and handed it back to me. “Octavia is going to love it.”

“You haven’t seen the best part. When the light hits it just right, her cutie mark appears in the ring. I really want to thank you mom.”

“Golden, you’ve thanked me since the day I found you.”

“I know, but I wouldn’t be the stallion I am today if it wasn’t for you. I’m not talking about finding me either. You raised me to be the pony strong enough to take on the role of Captain of the Royal Guard. You raised the pony that Octavia loves and a pony that can love her like no other. If it wasn’t for you, I could have ended up like Blueblood.”

“I would start crying and hug you, but the doors are about to open and I can’t ruin my make-up.”

“I know you would.”

The doors opened and ponies started to flood into the entrance. There were ponies from every walk of life from every corner of Equestria. I sometimes wonder how some ponies buy their tickets or who they knew that could get them a ticket. Soon after the doors opened, ponies started to line up just to be greeted by Princess Celestia. There was every type of pony, personality, and dressed up color coat.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight said after some time.

“Twilight! It is so lovely to see my star student.”

“Oh, I’m so excited to be here! We have so much to catch up on.”

“Well, I want you right by my side the entire evening, so we’ll have plenty of time together.”

“That’s just what I was hoping you’d say.”

“Don’t I get a hug?” I said with a smile. It’s only been a few months and she’s grown so much.

“Sorry, Golden,” she said as we hugged. “I was so excited to see Princess Celestia, I didn’t even see you. How have you been? How’s Cadence and my brother?”

“They’re doing fine. I think you should stay around Canterlot until they get back.”

“I wish I could, but my friend Applejack asked for my help with her apple farm’s budget. What about you and Octavia? Are you two still a couple?”

“They are,” Celestia said. “In fact, isn’t there something that you have to attend to, Golden?”

“Oh right! I have to go Twi, but we’ll catch up later,” I walked to the main hall where ponies were socializing.

“Well look at what we have here,” a familiar voice said as I entered the main hall.

“How dare you show your Canterlot abandoning face around here,” I said to the voice’s owner.

“You’re just jealous because I made it out of this town and became famous, while you’re stuck here giving kids warnings for breaking petty laws.”

“I’m captain now. I could throw you in jail for any reason I want and no pony would question it.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

We got into each other’s face, exchanging intimidating looks. I broke first and started laughing.

“Yes!” Spitfire said with a smile. “I win.”

“How have you been?” I asked as I hugged her. “I’ve heard so much about the Wonderbolts since you started it.”

“Yeah, we’re becoming a household name. We’ve even been talking about opening up our own academy to train ponies who want to join. What about you? Are you still with our rising star?”

“No, I broke up with Vinyl a while ago,” I said jokingly, “but Octavia and I are going strong. In fact…” I looked around to make sure that no pony was looking at us. When I was sure that we were unwatched, I showed her the box.

“Are you serious? You’re really going to ask her?”

“Right after they perform, I’m going to ask her in front of every pony.”

“She is going to love that. Looks like Soarn’ wants me to meet somepony. Later Golden. Oh, and I’ll send the happy couple tickets to the Wonderbolt’s derby in a few months,” Spitfire walked off. I smiled as I thought back all the good times we had together.

“How did you do that,” a rainbow maned mare asked me. She was in my face and looked desperate.

“You’re one of Twilight’s friends. Rainbow Dash, right?”

“Yeah, but how did you get to talk to Spitfire?”

“Don’t you remember me? We went on quest to save Princess Celestia.”

“I remember who you are. Golden Shield. Now, how did you get a chance to talk to Spitfire?”

“We’re old friends. She just wanted to do a little bit of catching up.”

“So you don’t have a secret. Alright, thanks anyway.”

“Wait, if you want to talk to Spitfire, just play it cool. Don’t approach her like you did with me and you’ll do fine.”

“Play it cool, got it. Thanks. Now I know why Twilight talks about you all the time.”

Rainbow Dash walked away and I started blushing a bit. I know she made me an honorary BBBFF, but she talks about me all the time? I was flattered, but I needed to stay focused. Staying focused was easier said than done, mainly because of another one of Twilight’s friends, Pinkie Pie I think, was bouncing around and singing. She seemed to think that the gala was some sort of big party with dancing and birthday cake. She was unfortunately shut down by everypony. Too bad. Her version of the gala seemed for fun.

I tried to ignore her and watch Octavia play. I loved watching her play and she loved it when I watched. She would always get lost her in own music and start going off on unrehearsed musical tangents. Octavia would close her eyes, play as if she was possessed, and open her eyes when she was done. She would always look at me first and smile and then the whole cycle would repeat.

“Beautiful set,” a mare said.

“Yeah,” I said, completely mesmerized by the music.

“So, Golden how have you been?”

“Yeah,” I said, still mesmerized.

“I’m carrying your child.”

“What?” I looked over and saw Star Darling sitting at the same table as me.

“Good, you’re not a mindless zombie.”

“Star,” I said with a smile, “what are you doing here?”

“Same as you, enjoying the show. How have you been? Last I heard, you and Octavia started dating.”

“Yeah, we’ve been dating for six years now.”

“Six years? And you haven’t asked the question?”

“No. Neither of us have been ready to really settle down, but I think that’s about to change. What about you? Are you still with that really nice guy?”

“No, we broke up. He did actually ask me to marry him, but I found him with Starlight Secret. You remember her, right?”

“Like totally.”

“Please don’t do that. Anyway, I needed a fresh start, so I moved to Canterlot. As a going away present, the twins got me a ticket to the gala.”

“Wait, you moved to Canterlot?”

“Still unpacking. I’m at 195 Glop Lane, apartment 3C if you want to help.”

“You’re kidding. I’m in 2A.”

“Well, I have to drop by sometime.”

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie took the stage. She whispered something into each of the ponies’ ears and then stepped up to the microphone. She started to sing some rendition of Pony Pokey. The lyrics seemed a bit weird, like they were pertaining to specific situations. I looked over at Octavia and I could see was annoyed. While she didn’t mind playing other ponies’ music, but she liked to add her own spice to it. I saw the face she made when she was about to be swept away by the music, but then Pinkie Pie grabbed her arm, made her play faster, and then knocked her over.

“Octy!” I shouted as I ran onto the stage, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she said as I helped her up, “but I don’t think my cello is.” She picked it up and started to examine it. “No! This can’t be happening.”

“What’s wrong?” Beauty asked. “Oh.” The cello fell imperfectly so one of the strings broke. To make matters worse, Pinkie Pie had accidently stepped on the bow, breaking it in two.

“Nonononono, I can’t play with this.”

“It’s okay, Octy. We can find another one and get you a new bow.”

“I don’t want a new one. This is my cello and another one won’t sound the same.”

“Okay, what if we get you a new string?”

“It would take some time to restring and then hours to tune it to perfection. I’m sorry everypony, I cannot play anymore tonight.”

“It’s just as well,” Concerto said, “look.” He pointed to Pinkie Pie who had moved their instruments and replaced them with a DJ station. She started blasting something you would hear at Vinyl’s club. And that’s when things started to take a turn for the worse.

First Pinkie Pie jumped off the stage, which launched a cake that another of Twilight’s friends brought in into the air, which was going to hit Blueblood and yet another one of Twilight’s friends. Blueblood grabbed Rarity, or I think her name was Rarity, and used her as a shield. This caused Rarity to go off and pretty much describe Blueblood perfectly. She ended up splashing frosting on him which caused him to back into a statue and caused it to fall. Rainbow Dash, ignoring my earlier advice, ran to catch the statue and save a few ponies. The statute, however, was too heavy and caused her to stumble around and knock over some pillars and the statue split in two anyway. Celestia and Twilight then entered the room to see the damage that was done. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse, the ground started to rumble and the animals in the gardens busted into the main room with Twilight’s final friend yelling at them.

The whole thing was chaotic. There were ponies and animals running around everywhere. I had to make sure that everypony was taken care of, but I also had to make sure Octavia and Star were safe. I looked around and saw a clear path from the stage to the door the animals came through.

“Run to that door!” I said to the quartet and Star, “Go to your homes and don’t worry about your instruments. I’ll make sure they’re safe. Get out of here as fast as you can!” They didn’t question me and just ran to the door. Octavia didn’t want to leave at first, but I told her that it wasn’t safe here and kissed her.

I jumped off the stage and tried to direct the ponies to their nearest exit, but there were still animals running amuck in the main hall. I looked around for anypony to help. I luckily didn’t see Celestia which probably means she made it out safely and I did see Nightingale trying to do the same thing, but we had to deal with the animals.

“Night!” I shouted to get his attention. “Maneuver 8?”

“Maneuver 8!” He said after taking a quick look around. Nightingale took off and started gathering the birds together so they would fly in one big circle. I did the same with the animals on the ground, but I used my teleportation spell.

“Guards!” We called out as all the animals were running and flying in circles. “Stand and fly in a circle around the animals.” It was still pretty chaotic, but they listened. “Make a hole to the door.” Again, the guards listened and our plan worked. The animals ran straight for the door and out of the castle.

“Good job boys,” Nightingale said, “I’m giving each of you a small bonus. We make a good team,” Nightingale said as he landed next to me.

“Yeah, but something doesn’t feel right.”

“I feel it too. It’s like somepony is still in danger.”

We walked out into the hallway and there was no pony. Besides a few guards who still felt the rush of what just happened, all the guests had left. There was an eerie silence that filled the castle, and then it was broken by a faint scream.

“Octy,” I said. I took off towards the direction of the scream and Nightingale followed. I ran as fast as I could, faster than I ever ran before. The screams got louder and louder until they stopped, but I got what I needed to find her.

Blueblood’s door was locked and wouldn’t budge. I tried kicking it a few times, but it was no good.

“Together!” Nightingale said as he got to the door. “On three. One…two…three!” We both threw ourselves at the door and it gave way.

Inside, we found Octavia unconscious on Blueblood’s bed while he kissed and groped her and making his way down her body. The worst part of it was the welt on Octavia’s head. I was beyond furious at Blueblood and there was no way that he was going to get away with this.

“Blueblood!” I screamed and pulled him off her. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“I planned to get laid tonight and that’s what I’m going to do. If that purple maned bitch isn’t going to fuck me, then she will do just fine.”

“You were going to rape her!”

“You call it rape, I call it persuasion.”

All common sense was thrown out the window. I balled my hand into a fist and threw a fist. I aimed for where he hit Octavia, trying to give him a matching welt. Fortunately for him, Nightingale caught my fist.

“Hold on there,” Nightingale said. “What would punching him solve?”

“Let me go Night. It’s what he deserves!”

“Maybe, but not from you. I know he’s been pissing you off since the day you met him. I know he did and was going to do something awful to your marefriend, and I know he deserves to be knocked out, but you’re captain now. You have a responsibility to be more outstanding than the normal citizen.”

“Fine,” I said while I put my fist down. “You’re still under arrest.” I spun Blueblood around, put his arms behind his back, and bound his hands together.

“I can’t let you do that either.”

“He has to be dealt with, Night.”

“You have a conflict of interest.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He attacked your marefriend, of course you want him to be put away. “

“Ha, there is nothing you can do to me, Porter.”

“You are still under arrest. You assaulted a mare and then tried to rape her. Did you honestly think you would get away with that?”

“But, he can’t arrest me. There’s a conflict of interest.”

“He can’t arrest you, but I can.”

“What?”

“When there is a conflict of interest, the next highest ranking guard or captain makes all decisions. Blueblood, you are under arrest. Guards!” It was a little nice to see Blueblood taken away by the guards, but I had bigger things to deal with.

I rush to the bedside and held Octavia’s hand. She was out cold. I will never forgive Blueblood for this.

“Somepony get The Doctor!”

“Already here, Golden.” The Doctor said as he entered the room.

“How?”

“Philomena. She told me that Octavia was in trouble and need a doctor. Did I forget to mention that I speak phoenix?”

“Good girl.”

The Doctor started to work his magic. He did his test figuring out what was wrong with her. He said something in phoenix and Philomena started to cry on Octavia’s welt. It started going down. He explained that phoenix tears can heal external wounds and he needed the welt to go away before he could continue. I held her hand the entire time and every so often she would squeeze. Octavia is a fighter.

“Magical blast to the head. It was the equivalent of being punched fifteen times by an ametur boxer. I have to be careful or else she will lose memories. First we need to move her to the infirmary.”

“I’ll carry her,” Nightingale said.

“No, she needs me.”

I picked her up making sure to support her head. I kept a certain way so that if she did wake up, I would be the first pony she sees. She didn’t wake up the entire walk or while I placed her on the bed in the infirmary.

“Golden!” Vinyl said as she rushed into the room, “Nightingale caught me up on what happened. How is she doing?”

“Stable for now,” The Doctor said. “I’m going to do something that should help her. She needs somepony to help her remember who she is.”

“Vinyl, grab her other hand.” Vinyl didn’t question it. She ran over to the other side of the bed and grabbed her hand.

“Octy, Vinyl is here. She’s holding your other hand.” Then something beautiful happened. She squeezed our hands.

“She can hear you!” Vinyl said. “Octy, it’s me. Can you hear me? Did you feel that one?”

“No.”

“She can hear me too.”

“Good, she’s still with us. Octavia, I’m going to do something. I want you to concentrate on Golden and Vinyl. Clear your mind about everything else. Only Golden Shield and Vinyl Scratch.”

“I got a squeeze,” I said.

“Me too,” Vinyl said.

“Alright. Allons-y!” The Doctor started to rub Octavia’s head where she was hit. He did this for about half an hour and then moved to the other side. He again did this for thirty minutes and finally to the top of her head. “Okay, now I need you two to do something for her. Dig deep in your heart and tell her what you really think.”

“Octavia. It’s Vinyl. I need you. You keep me grounded and inspire me to do better. Seeing how you love everything you do makes me want to do make my music better. Because of you, I started putting classical music remixes into my sets. You’re my best friend and you get me like no other pony. Without you, I wouldn’t know what I would so with myself. Please Octavia, I need you. I love you like a sister.”

“Golden,” The Doctor said.

“Octavia, you are one of the strongest, smartest, most independent, and most beautiful pony I’ve ever known. Even right now, I can’t help but to be in awe of you. Why you’ve chosen me, I’ll never know, but I’m glad that you did. The first time we kissed, in Applewood, I felt something amazing between us. I realized that I didn’t want to live my life without you. I couldn’t live without you. I can’t even picture a world without you. I love you Octavia and I want you to marry me. Please wake up.”

There wasn’t a response. She laid there not doing anything. She even stopped squeezing. The Doctor felt for a heartbeat and shook his head. I started to cry. She couldn’t die. She wasn’t ready.

“I’m sorry, Golden, Vinyl. I am so, so sorry.”

“No, she can’t!” Vinyl said.

“Yes…” Octavia said faintly.

“Did you hear that?” I asked.

“Hear what?” The Doctor asked

“Yes…” she said again.

“She’s talking. Octavia is alive!” Vinyl said

“I guess her heart actually skipped a few beats.”

“Yes…Golden. Yes.”

“’Yes’ to what?” Vinyl asked.

Just then Octavia opened her eyes and smiled at me.

“You’re serious, right Golden? You want me to marry you? ”

“Yes I’m serious. I was going to wait until after you performed and then ask you in front of everypony. Octavia Melody, will you marry me?” I pulled out the ring and presented it to her.

“Yes, Golden. Yes! Yes! Yes! A million times yes.”

I put the ring on her finger and kissed her. It was just as amazing and magical as the first time we kissed in that bed in Applewood. It wasn’t what I originally imagined, but it was perfect

“Are you crying?” The Doctor asked Vinyl.

“Shut up! My best friends just got engaged. I can cry if I want.”

The Doctor wanted to keep Octavia there for another day, just to be safe. I only left her side once to represent her in Blueblood’s trial. It wasn’t much of a case and he ended up pleading guilty. Nightingale was allowed to pick his punishment. First he is to spend 20 months confined to his room in complete isolation. He was to have zero contact with anypony, his food was even going to be teleported in. Then he is to spend another six months under a silence spell. It was exactly what I wanted.

That night Octavia and I walked back to our apartment for the first time as fiancés. Octavia wanted to put the ugliest parts of the night behind her, so she changed the story. I now carried her out of the main hall, said that I didn’t want to live without her, and asked her once it was safe. She loved the ring and really loved how it looked in the sunlight. She loved how I planned everything out and went to the ends of the earth just to get a blessing. Most of all, she loved how I could take what should have been the worst night of her life and made it perfect.

> Chapter 28: Discord
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This has been the best month of my life. Octavia loved her ring and could not get over the fact that I actually proposed to her. She told anypony that would hear our story. It did take some convincing to make our friends change the story, but they agreed when they realized that Octavia didn’t want to talk about what really happened. Everypony was happy for us, but no more than our parents. Celestia even said that Octavia could call her “Mom”.

Cadence freaked out when Octavia showed her the ring and Octavia did the same when Cadence told her the story. Almost immediately the girls started to plan our weddings. Of course, they wanted mine and Shining’s say, but they could have easily figured everything out themselves.

What else made things perfect was Blueblood’s punishment, it’s been only thirty days and he’s already losing it. Guards were signing up and taking extra shifts just to stand outside his room. For the first time they were instructed to ignore Blueblood, and they couldn’t be happier. I’ve overheard some of them saying they enjoyed hearing him beg. Although I too should be enjoying his punishment, I had a job to do and so did they.

Besides sitting in on negotiations with Foxtrot, there wasn’t really anything for me to do, which was perfect. After the gala, I started spending more time with Octavia. We would go out to dinners, dancing, theater shows, friends’ parties, and anything else we could think of. Neither of us minded, but Vinyl did. She swears that we keep her up at night, but she likes to exaggerate. Today, however, was a little bit different. Blueblood has been begging to be released early or anything else. His lawyer asked to meet with me to do something about his punishment. He spent most of the morning trying to convince me that the punishment doesn’t fit the crime, to which I reminded him that he had attacked and tried to rape somepony. In the end, she made no progress and changed nothing.

“Knock knock,” Octavia said as she entered my office.

“Octy, what are you doing here?”

“I thought we could go out to lunch.” I looked over at the clock and saw that it was 11:55. Had I really been talking to Blueblood’s lawyer all day? 

“Plus, Cadence and I were talking about our weddings.”

“Where were you thinking of going?”

“I was thinking the restaurant we went to for my parent’s anniversary.”

“Alright, let’s go.” I got up and put my arm around Octavia.

“Captain Golden Shield,” Princess Celestia said as she entered the office, “Oh, hello Octavia.”

“Hi, Mom.” Octavia said with a smile.

“Captain, I need you to protect Princess Cadence. I’ve told her to wait in her room until I have personally told her it was okay to come out. You should go there too, Octavia.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Take Octavia to Cadence’s room and stay there. It is not only your duty, but also an order. Now go.”

Celestia had a look of worry on her face that I’ve never seen before. If it was just a robber or something, then she would have sent anypony else. I followed her orders and walked Octavia to Candace’s room. There were guards running around, trying to get staff and guests into their rooms or the closest one. The same was going on outside. Shining and his men were escorting ponies into their homes or shops. We eventually made it to Cadence room and found her and some other staff members in, looking either confused or worried.

“Golden!” Cadence said as she hugged me. 

“What’s going on? Why did Auntie Celestia tell me to wait here?”

“I don’t know, but I have to find her.”

“You can’t,” Octavia said. “Princess Celestia ordered you to stay here. If you don’t listen to her, then you could get fired.”

“My orders were to protect Princess Cadence. I’ll put a spell on this room which makes it impossible to enter without Cadence’s permission. I have to make sure that Celestia and Luna are safe too. It’s my job.”

“But what if whatever is worrying Celestia finds its way here and is more powerful than your spell? We need somepony to defend us.”

“If I don’t go out there then all of Equestria could lose everything. If this thing has Celestia worried, then many ponies lives may be at risk.”

“I would rather have us die together than have you sacrifice yourself. Please Golden, I need you. Please stay here, I love you.”

“I love you too, but I have to find Celestia. It’s my job.”

“Alright, but I’m coming with you.”

“No. It could be dangerous. Celestia is obviously afraid of something out there. I’ve never seen her like this. You need to stay here where it’s safe.”

“Golden, haven’t you learned by now? It’s pretty hard to change my mind once it’s set.”

“You are so stubborn. Why am I even marrying you?”

“Because you love that about me,” Octavia said with a smile and then giving me a kiss on the cheek.

“God help me, I do. Alright, but I need you to listen to everything I say. We don’t know what’s out there and you still are a civilian.”

“Yes sir.”

“Cadence, I’m going to seal this room and you’re the only one that can let anypony in. I’m going to send guards your way and only let them in if they say this word.” I leaned in close to Cadence and told her a code word that we used all the time as foals.

“Got it. Stay safe you two.”

Octavia and I walked out of the room and I sealed the door. We started to walk to the throne room because we thought that’s where she would be. Octavia started to speculate on what was going on. She thought of changeling invasion, griffon attack, a hydra stomping around. I wasn’t really sure what it could have been, but something felt off. It was almost as if there was a sense of chaos where there should be peace.

We reached the throne room and it was empty. I tried opening the door that lead to Celestia and Luna’s chambers, but the door was magically locked. Looks like Luna beat me to it.

“Golden, what was on that stand out there?” I turned to see Octavia staring out a window that faced the statue garden and maze. I walked over to her and saw what she was talking about. That ugly statue was gone.

“A draconequus statue representing chaos.”

“Do you think somepony stole it?”

“Unless they were using magic, I doubt it. Besides, it’s ugly and not even worth anything. It’s just a piece of stone.”

“Come now, Prince Golden,” a voice in the sky said, “I’m not that ugly. But, maybe a little lipstick wouldn’t hurt.”

“What was that?” Octavia asked as she got behind me.

“Don’t act like you don’t know me, Miss. Melody.” Suddenly the draconequus appeared in front of us. “I must say, you are a fantastic cello player. Probably the best I’ve heard in years.” With a snap of his fingers, he turned into a cello and played himself, which sounded like a dying cat. “I could use some practice. And I must applaud you too, Prince. That spell you put on that room back there is stronger than I thought.”

“Are you trying to get on our good side?” I asked.

“I’m just trying to show you that ugly things have feelings too. Now, shouldn’t you be cowering in fear over in Princess Cadence’s room like your mommy said?”

“Look, I don’t know what you are, but we have something we need to get back to and something’s telling me you’re have something to do with it.”

“Haven’t you ever heard of innocent until proven guilty?” He snapped his fingers and changed the room a bit to resemble a courtroom. He was even able to change me into a bailiff outfit and himself into judge’s robes. “Now what can I do for you? But, where are my manners? I haven’t even introduced myself and I’m already changing your outfit. Discord at your service.”

“He’s willing to help, Golden.”

“Fine. We’re looking for Princess Celestia. Do you have any idea where she is?”

“Of course. She’s in the library.” He snapped his fingers again and he undid everything, squeezed in between us and put an arm around each of us. “However, because we’re such good friends, I must warn you. It might be better to stay in the dark.”

He snapped his fingers one last time and everything went dark. When the light came back, he was gone. There wasn’t even a trace of him.

“That was…weird. How did he do all of that?”

“He’s a draconequus. They have impossible, unimaginable powers. Let’s go, we need to find Celestia ASAP.”

We started to walk to the library, but it seemed longer than I remembered. Octavia seemed worried as we walked. Every time we passed a window, things got stranger. The sky turned green, the grass was blue, pink clouds covered the sky, it even rained chocolate. We eventually reached the library. We opened the old doors, which would normally make a creaking sound. Celestia was looking through books and immediately tossing them aside.

“Where are they?” She said to herself. Octavia and I were about to approach her, but then we heard a laugh and decided to hide. “Not now, Discord.”

“Why not Tia? I thought you would be happy that I was back,” Discord said as he appeared next to her.

“I told you I never wanted to see you again.”

“You were lying to yourself and we both know it. Do you still feel it, Tia? That spark.”

“That spark is dead and you know it is. I told you that I would never forgive you for what you did.”

“That was over a thousand years ago. Are you really still mad? It was one colt and he turned out okay. Come back to me, Tia, and we could rule the world together. I still love you. I’ve already met your son and he seems to like me.”

“What? When did you meet him? Never mind. Just tell me where they are.”

“I told you, they are somewhere you have been, but never think about. Now, if you excuse me, there is chaos to be done.” Discord suddenly kissed Celestia and left. Celestia recoiled as quickly as she could, but he already got what he wanted.

“Mom?” I said as Octavia and I came out of hiding.

“Golden? I told you to protect Princess Cadence.”

“She’s safe and so is Luna. That leaves you. I have to protect from any dangers.”

“How much of that did you see?”

“All of it. What was that about?”

“I’m afraid I haven’t been completely honest, Golden.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll tell you later. Right now, I need to find someplace I’ve been, but never thought about.”

“Is there any part of the castle where you haven’t been in a while?” Octavia asked.

“The only place I can think of is Golden’s room.” 

“Why would they be there?” I asked.

“Because I wanted to keep it exactly the same. No pony has even touched the door since you moved out. It reminded me of all the good times we had while you were growing up. I didn’t want anything to change.”

“They have to be there. Let’s go and please tell me what happened while we walk.”

“I guess I we have time,” Celestia said as we started walking. She sighed and started to think of how she was going to tell the story. “I met Discord a few weeks before my 17th birthday. He was so sweet and caring. He didn’t even use his powers because he thought that he didn’t need to. On my birthday, he confessed that he loved me and I felt something towards him. We even kissed. I started dating him in secret because I knew my mother wouldn’t approve.

“Unfortunately, my parents invited the suitors a few weeks later and put up a barrier to make sure there was no outside interference and that’s how I met him, the farmer. I wasn’t lying about who he was. He was an onion farmer and the only pony there wasn’t famous or held some sort of clout. The only reason he was there was because my parents couldn’t find a 10th pony. We started spending more and more time together and I realized that I loved him. When it came time to choose, I didn’t hesitate and picked him. Of course my parents didn’t approve at first, but they did once they got to know him

“Everything was perfect, I just had to break the news to Discord. I told him that I found somepony else and we couldn’t be anything more than friends. He got so angry that he promised that he would get me back. He first used his powers to severely hurt the farmer, but that wasn’t enough for Discord. He made his family’s land infertile and forced them to move away. Finally, he stopped all letters I sent him and stopped him from returning. I never forgave him and told him that I never wanted to see him again.”

“I’m so sorry, mom.” Octavia said.

“Thank you, Octavia, but I did get a final word with the farmer.”

“Why would you lie to me?” I asked her. “I wouldn’t have thought anything less of you.”

“Because I wanted to put that whole thing behind me. I didn’t want you to even know about Discord. Until today he was just ‘that ugly statue that we should smash’ to you. I’m so sorry, Golden.”

“It’s fine. We just need to find…what are we looking for anyway?”

“Twilight’s letters. I believe that he is going to try and corrupt Twilight and her friends and the only way to undo his magic is to remind them of who they are. I can’t do anything about her friends, but I can save her who will, in turn, save her friends.”

We reached my room shortly afterwards. Celestia was right, my room hasn’t been touched since I left. The bed was still neatly made, there were posters from my favorite bands and movies, there was even my old clothes still in the drawers. On the bed was the stack of letters in a neat pyramid. Celestia grabbed the one on top and saw that they were Twilight’s letters. There was one that seemed off, which I grabbed.

“What does that one say?” Octavia asked.

“It isn’t one of Twilight’s letters.” I quickly scanned it and then read it out loud.

Dear Princess Celestia

My name is Solar Flutter and I live in Applewood. I heard that you found a unicorn with a golden coat, bronze mane, and silver eyes. I believe this is my son. Our family went vacationing in Ponyville and my son woke up one night and his father and I believe he went exploring. We told him before not to leave, but he loves to explore. His father and I searched all over the Everfree Forest, but we could not find him. When we got back to the town, the ponies said that you found our son. We didn’t have enough money to travel to Canterlot, so I immediately wrote this letter to you. Please, give us the resources to travel to Canterlot or come here. I miss my baby.

A loving mother,

Solar Flutter.

“What is this?” I asked after reading the letter.

“I am so sorry, Golden.”

“What is this?”

“It’s a letter I got a few days after I found you. You had already grown on me and I couldn’t let you go just yet.”

“My real mom contacted you? And you didn’t tell me?”

“I’m sorry, I should have told and taken you to her as soon as I got the letter. I thought that if she really did care about you then she would have sent another letter or found a way to come to Canterlot, but she didn’t.”

“I can’t believe this. I could have been raised by my mother?”

“Look, Golden-”

“I don’t want to hear your reasoning. I just…just…I don’t even know what I want. Go send the letters to Twilight and leave me alone.”

“Okay…” Celestia used her magic to take the letters out of my room. I sat down on my bed to reread the letter. That last line is what got to me. I miss my baby.

How could she do this? Celestia didn’t adopt me, she kidnapped me. She knew that my real mom was out there and did nothing about it. Not only that, but she told me that she was looking for her. That’s what really hurt. She raised and I had no choice, but to trust her. She lied to me and not just about that. What else did she lie about? Did my real mom come to Canterlot to look for and Celestia had her guards? I am a guard because it’s what she wanted me to do?

I continued to reread the letter and Octavia sat next to me. She would rub my back or hug me or kiss my cheek. We sat there in silence, neither of us wanted to say anything.

“Are you going to be okay?” Octavia asked after a while.

“I don’t know. My ‘mom’ lied to me my entire life and kept me away from what could have been my real mom. Celestia decided my life and I don’t know how I feel about that.”

“Look at it this way, if she didn’t, then we would have never met.”

“Of course we would have. I don’t know how, but we would have met. I would have swept you off your feet, and we would be getting married. The only difference would be we wouldn’t be engaged yet.”

“Is there a problem with that? I love the pony that Celestia raised and so do your friends. She also gave you everything you wanted, but also taught you the value of everything. Who knows, your real mom could have raised you to turn out to be Blueblood.”

“I know, but I would have at least liked to know she was out there and looking for me.”

“It would have been nice. Are you mad at her?” I didn’t know how to respond, but I knew the answer.

“Thank you, Octavia,” I said as I stood up, taking the letter with me.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to talk to Celestia. Please don’t follow me. It’s a little personal. I promise that I will come back right after we’re done.”

“Okay, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I walked to the throne room, again guessing that she would be there. This time, however, she was in there sending the last note back to Twilight. She turned around when she heard the door open and rushed over to hug me, but I stopped her.

“I am so sorry, Golden. I should have told you the second I got the letter. The reason I didn’t is because I felt, somewhere deep inside of me, that this mare wasn’t your mother. If she sent another letter or even made an attempt to come to Canterlot, then I would have sent you to her.”

“You lied to me for most of my life. You kept me away from somepony who gave me life and probably changed my destiny. And for what? So you could be a mother to a foal? Well you know what?” I held the letter out in front of me and tore it in two.

“What? Why would you do that?”

“Because you’re my mom. You’re the one that raised me into the stallion I am today. It’s the stallion everypony loves. If this mare really did give birth to me than she would have done everything she could to find me. While she was sitting around Applewood, you were making sure that I turned out okay. That’s what makes a mother, not just giving birth. You cared for me no matter what I did or who I was. You went out of your way to help a strange boy lost in the forest and stayed with him for fourteen years. I could never thank you enough for everything you did.”

Celestia hugged and promised to never lie to me again, no matter how small. Celestia told me to wait with Octavia and Twilight will turn Discord back to stone. I went back to my room, like I promised. We started to talk about our wedding, but Octavia couldn’t help herself.

“So you really don’t want you meet her?” Octavia asked.

“Maybe, but I have to focus on Canterlot and us. Maybe after we get married, but not now.”

“Are you sure? Because The Trotney Company invited me back to Applewood. The concert is in a few weeks and you know you have to go. I thought since we were going to be there anyway, we could find her.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready. If this is my real mom, then this is the mare that abandoned me. What would I even say to her?”

“Well, at least get some closure.”

We went back to talking about our wedding. Things outside went back to normal in a flash of light. We continued to talk through most of the day, making it the first day I got no work done. Cadence eventually found us and the girls started to plan their weddings together, specifically setting a date. I don’t know how she did it, but Octavia got Cadence to let us have ours first. The sun set soon after the girls decided on dates, and Octavia and I walked home.

If you didn’t know any better, you would say that nothing happened today. All the trees and buildings there were floating were put back on the ground, the lamp posts were made of metal instead of liquorice, the clouds were white, and, most importantly, there was a sense of peace. Everything was fine and everypony was walking around.

The next day, Princess Celestia held a ceremony to honor of Twilight and her friends. According to Twilight, Discord had turned her friends into, and I’m using her words here, “corrupted versions of themselves”. She had to remind them of who they were before they could turn Discord back into stone.

After the ceremony and when all the ponies cleared out, I decided to make my rounds of the castle. I really used it as an excuse to look at Discord’s new pose.

“I liked him better when he was laughing,” I said to myself.

“I don’t understand why we don’t smash it,” Foxtrot said as she came up behind me.

“While I’m not completely opposed to it, there still is something living in inside of it.”

“Yeah, something that turned Equestria into his own plaything. It’s my job to make sure nothing takes over this place. I want to make sure he never comes back.”

“The only reason he came back in the first place is because Celestia and Luna lost their connection to the elements. Now that Twilight and her friends are connected to them, I doubt he’ll be back.”

“But what if he does?”

“Then we’ll be ready for him.”

“Fine, but if I even think he’ll be back, then I’m taking a sledgehammer to it. So, you and the cello player are doing fine?”

“Married in a few months. I can remember the first time we met.”

“That’s cute. You know, I hope I can meet some stallion like you one day. Somepony who isn’t intimidated by my position and can keep up with me.”

“You’ll find somepony someday. You’re still young.”

“Don’t make yourself sound like you’re an old fart. You’re only 25.”

“We should probably get back to work.”

“What work? All I’ve been doing is listening to Blueblood scream about being by himself. It’s music to my ears.”

“Well, I’ve got meetings and then I might try and then I have to deal with some punks Shining brought in.”

The next few weeks were uneventful. I told Celestia about meeting my possible real mom and she said it was the right thing to do. The train ride there was more or less the same. Octavia wore the dress she was going to wear for her concert, played me a private concert, we talked a little bit. The only difference is that she did a little planning and we went to the sleeping area to… anyway. They gave us the same room, but there were a few more pictures of celebrities who stayed in the room. What really surprised us was the picture of Octavia and pen next to it. This was her shining moment. Octavia had become a celebrity.

The Trotney Company wanted us to enjoy ourselves this time, so they gave us tickets to their theme park. While it was fun, watching the shows, riding the rides, and ending the night with fireworks, there were also a good amount of ponies asking of Octavia’s autograph. She didn’t mind. Octavia was never one to disappoint.

There was one thing that made me a little upset. Pony magazine had apparently heard that Octavia was in Applewood and wanted to name her the “Sexiest Mare Alive”. They wanted to do a photoshoot where she would do some provocative poses. I didn’t like the idea of making her a sex symbol, teenage colts whacking it to the pictures, or stallions hooting at her on the streets. They told me that they wanted me to do some clean shots with her and confirmed that they were going to write that she was engaged in the article that accompanied the pictures. It helped a little.

As for the actual concert. Once again, Octavia blew everypony away. I know I say this every time and I believe myself every time, but there was no way that she could top herself this time. In each note, you could hear the passion and love for her craft. Then came the slow song. It was probably the most beautiful thing that she has ever done. I looked at some of the members of the audience. Octavia had moved them to tears. I then looked back at her, I don’t know if it was the music or the way the light hit her, but I had never loved her more than right now.

The next day was the moment of truth. We got the address form the torn letter and got a taxi to get us there. I wasn’t sure what to expect or what was going to happen, but I had to do it.

“Are you ready?” Octavia asked me

“No, but it’s something I need to do. This could be my real mom.”

“Whatever happens, I’m here for you.”

I slowly raised my hand to knock on the door. When I did, a mare almost immediately opened it, almost as if she was expecting us.

“Can I help you?” She asked. She was a pale blue pegasus with a light yellow mane that reminded me of a sunny day.

“Solar Flutter?” I asked

“Yes. Do I know you?”

“Do you remember writing a letter to Princess Celestia over 20 years ago?” I asked.

“Yes. Oh my god.”

“I think you are my real mom. Princess Celestia was waiting for another letter but it never came.”

“I am so sorry, but I found my son. A nice zebra found him wandering the Everfree Forest and took care of him and then brought him back to me. I’m sorry, but I’m not your mother.”

“Oh,” I said disappointed.

“Look, you came all this way and I’m so sorry you didn’t find what you were looking for. Why don’t you two come in and I’ll make you some tea.”

“That sounds lovely, Miss. Flutter,” Octavia said with a smile

“I know how you feel,” Solar Flutter said as we entered her lovely home. She walked to the kitchen to boil some water. “I was adopted too. When my parents told me who my real parents were, the only thing I wanted was to meet them. When I did, I found out it they gave me up because they were too young to handle a little filly. I still talk to them and they are a lovely couple. I’m sure you’ll find your real parents one day, but for now appreciate what you have.”

“That won’t be a problem ma’am,” I said as I looked over at Octavia and smiled.

We continued to talk for a little while longer before Octavia and I went to dinner. Octavia said she had a surprise for me, so she blindfolded me and took me somewhere. When it came off, we were standing in front of the Applewood sign where she had set up a picnic.

“Our first date,” I said with a smile.

“I thought it was appropriate. I know you didn’t get what you wanted today, but that shouldn’t ruin our trip. The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad thing things don’t make always spoil the good things and make them unimportant. And you know what, Golden? You definitely soften my bad things.”

“And you make up most of my good things.”

“Shall we?”

“Applewood!” I shouted to the living city, “My name is Golden Shield and I love Octavia Melody!”

“And I’m Octavia Melody and I love Golden Shield.” 
> Chapter 29: Vacation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I finally have some time off. The Applewood trip was my first real vacation in years, so I’d accumulated some vacation days. I decided to take two weeks off, one in Applewood and one in Baltimare for Octavia’s family reunion. We later learned that the reunion was family only, and I couldn’t go because we weren’t married yet. Of course I wanted to go, but I still had time off so I decided to spend it with Vinyl. We haven’t spent much time together yet, or any time for that matter, but that might have been because we were also looking for a new roommate.

In the wake of the whole Discord thing, Coco decided not to waste any more time and follow her dreams of becoming a fashion designer in Manehatten. She applied to a prestigious fashion school and received an acceptance letter in a matter of days. Vinyl, Octavia, and I debated on getting a new roommate and decided that we would have more money if we continued to spit the rent four ways.

I woke up in my surprisingly big bed towards the end of my week off. I missed Octavia, of course, but I did also miss sprawling out across the bed. I didn’t really want to stay in bed all day, so I took a shower and got dressed. I still needed my coffee, so I went to the kitchen and made a pot and about half-way through my first cup, a colt walked out of the apartment and Vinyl came out a few minutes later, wearing a loose shirt and a pair of short pajama shorts.

“Morning,” I said. “It’s 9:45, what are you doing up?”

“DJ’d at a friend’s party last night and I thought that I would enjoy myself so I called in early last night,” she said with a smile.

“Yeah, about that. I’ll soundproof my room if you keep sleeping around with others so much. I mean, did you even know his name?”

“I have to get his name? And don’t make me sound like some sort of hussy. That was the first time in months I’ve gotten any. Plus, neither of us were drunk. He had one beer, if that.”

“How did you meet him anyway?”

“He was going on about his ex-marefriend cheating on him and he wanted to get revenge or something. One thing led to another and then it led to this.”

“Okay… I think you thought about it… just try not to catch anything. You want breakfast?”

“Tavi usually makes breakfast. Plus I like our system of just going to the café.”

“Tavi’s not here and I’m not completely incompetent without her.”

While living in the castle, I would watch Chef Celery Stock prepare a meal and learned some tricks from her. While there was no way that I would be able to match her in quality or plating, I was good enough for me to survive off my own cooking. Octavia, however, was on another level compared to me. Everything she made was delicious, but she made breakfast especially well. I don’t know what she puts in her pancakes and waffles, but they are to die for.

“Damn, Golden,” Vinyl said after taking another bite of her breakfast. “This is actually pretty good. Is that cinnamon?”

“Not as good as Octavia’s, but-”

“Of course not. Octavia made a deal with the devil to get her secret ingredient. So what’s the plan for today?”

“I was going to go over the new roommate applications.”

“I can’t believe that Tavi is making ponies fill out applications to live with us. Why don’t we just pick the one that’s willing to pay the most rent?”

“She’s just trying to get to know the pony before they move in.”

“Fine. Who’s first?”

“Brawny Spirit. A 21 year old physical trainer. It says that he’s just looking for a place to sleep and won’t be spending much time here.”

“Nah, I want someone who can actually do something for us. You know, like how Coco made clothes for us.”

“What about Sugar Rush? She’s fresh out of high school and a baker. She’d probably be willing to make us some sweets.”

“No, I’ll get fat. What about this one? Flash Sentry.”

“Maybe. He was a punk growing up, but turned his life around and got into a Royal Guard training session. There could be a bit of a conflict if a newbie moves in with a Captain. Besides-”

I was interrupted by a knock on the door. Neither of us were expecting anypony and it was way too early for any packages. At first I thought that maybe Octavia was already back, but something told me that wasn’t true. Then I thought that maybe the stallion forgot something and thought it would be a little funny as Vinyl and him had awkwardly avoided eye contact beforehand. They knocked again and I decided to answer it finally.

“Took you long enough!” Spitfire said as I opened the door.

“Spitfire! What are you doing here?”

“The Wonderbolts are moving to Canterlot. I need a place to live and I heard you were looking for a new roommate. Also call me Spits.”

“Spits?”

“Yeah, well you all have nicknames. We’ve got Golden Boy and Miss. DJ Pon-3 and our rising star. Why can’t I be Spits?”

“Welcome to the family, Spits!” Vinyl said from her seat.

“Cool,” Spitfire said as she walked into the apartment. “Where’s Octavia?”

“Family reunion,” Vinyl said, “and lover-boy here couldn’t go. Want some pancakes?”

“No thanks. I ate before I came. So, what are the rules here?”

“Trash pickup is on Thursday, rent’s due on the first, and clean up after yourself,” Vinyl said.

“Cool. Soarn’ is going to be here about noon with my stuff.”

“Do you need help moving in?” I asked.

"No, I think the two of us can handle it.”

“Then I have nothing to do all day.”

The three of us continued to talk for a while, but it was mainly Spitfire telling us stories of the Wonderbolts. I started to wonder what I was going to do for the rest of the day and I decided I could hang out around town for the time being.

As our conversation ended, I walked out of our apartment and saw Star trying to lock her door while holding a box. I then realized that I hadn’t really talked to her since I helped her move in, which was about a month ago. I’d seen her around Canterlot, but we haven’t had a real meaningful conversation yet. She was either trying to get away from her problems with her ex-fiancé or getting something for her apartment.

“Let me get that for you,” I said as I came up to her and took the box.

“Thanks,” she said with a smile and an awkward hug. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Yeah, I’ve been extremely busy at work and the whole wedding-”

“Please don’t talk about weddings. Three months of planning down the hole.”

“What’s in this box anyway?”

“The last of that ass’s stuff. I was considering burning it and just sending him the ashes, but I’m better than that. Do you think you could carry it to the post office for me? It’s a little heavy.”

“No problem. I’ve got nothing better to do at the moment,” I said as we started to leave the apartment complex.

“Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, protecting us from the next great danger or something?”

“I’ve worked every weekday for the past few years, I think I deserve a break. What about you? Have you found a job yet?”

“Actually, a nice mare was able to get me a job at her modeling agency.”

“Was it Fleur De Lis?”

“Yeah. You know her?”

“We went to school together. She’s-” I accidently ran into somepony and dropped the box.

“I’m so sorry!” The offending mare apologized as she scrambled to pick up the things she dropped. “I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing and-”

“No, it’s my fault. I should have been paying attention… Rarity?” I said as I picked up the box. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, Golden! I was here just to pick up some fabrics for my shop, but then I thought since Twilight got me a suite in Canterlot Castle I would make her a dress for her birthday, so I went out to get fabrics for that and then I ran into Fancy Pants and then you and… I should stop talking now.”

“You’re fine Rarity,” I said with a chuckle. “Star, this is a friend I made when I went to Ponyville, Rarity. Rarity, this is an old friend of mine, Star Darling.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Star said.

“Likewise. I’m sorry, but I have to get going. Maybe you can come by the castle sometime,” she said with a smile. She didn’t wait for me to respond and hurried past us.

“Does she know that you’re engaged?”

“I’ve been meaning to tell her,” I said as I started walking again. “But I’m either on duty and forbidden to talk about my personal life or she gets the last word.”

“You have to tell her, Golden. She obviously has a thing for you and you can’t keep her on the hook like that. Plus, what happens if Octavia finds out that you’re flirting with other mares?”

“I’m not flirting with other mares.”

“She doesn’t know that. Golden, I don’t know if you know this, but you make some mares crazy. I can’t tell you how many mares wore push-up bras during that whole arranged marriage thing. I even wore perfume for the first time because somepony told me it worked like an aphrodisiac. And from what you’ve told me, Octavia waited twelve years for you.”

“Alright. I’ll drop by the castle tomorrow and let her down easy. But, please don’t tell Octavia.”

“Why?”

“I don’t actually know what would happen if she thinks I’m cheating on her.”

“Really?”

“She trusts me enough and knows that I would never do that, but a mare has trusted me before and it didn’t end pretty. This time, however, I haven’t even thought of another mare since I started dating Octavia.”

“Well I have faith in you two. Looks like we’re here. Thank you for carrying that box for me.”

“No problem. And thank you for keeping me company.”

“Sure. Listen, Fleur got me my first job today, but I should be free the rest of this week. Do you want hang out sometime?”

“Yeah, I’ve got absolutely nothing to do tomorrow.”

“Awesome. I’ll see you around Golden,” Star said with a smile as she took the box from me.

I felt pretty good after talking to Star, but I didn’t feel like walking around Canterlot anymore. I’m at least going to get coffee, but then I think I’ll go back to the apartment and just read.

I thought about this café. I’ve been coming here for years now and never gave it a second thought. This was the place my friends and I would go when we just wanted to hang out. It’s the place I took Angel and the Twins on dates and where Octavia and I like to go to today. It’s the place where Star saw me retrieve that mare’s purse. It’s the place I realized that I loved Octavia and she loved me. This place has been an important part of my life and all I’ve ever done is get a cup of coffee.

The coffee I drank after that realization was the best I’ve ever had. I tried to make it last the entire walk home, which I was able to do to some success. I was about three-fourths done with my coffee when I reached into my pocket to get the key to the apartment. The door suddenly flung open and knocked me back.

“There you are,” Spitfire said as she walked through the door. “Let’s go.”

“You just spilled my coffee,”

“I’ll get you another cup. Now, let’s get going,” Spitfire said as she started walking.

“Where are we going?” I asked after I reluctantly started to follow her.

“It turns out Soarn’ accidently sent my formal clothes to Baltimare, so I’ve got nothing for Wonderbolt Derby tomorrow. And I want a new dress for your wedding. You’re coming with me to help me pick out the best looking dress.”

“Why me?”

“Don’t you help Octavia pick out her clothes?”

“Actually, Octavia and Cadence usually go shopping together.”

“Well, no offence to Cadence, but I would prefer to go with you. You were basically my brother growing up, so I feel a little more comfortable with you.”

“Wait, aren’t you competing tomorrow?”

“It’s really a way for us to haze the newbies. Plus, there is still an after party and I need to look my best.”

I was a little flattered that she trusts me more than Cadence, but I still don’t like shopping. Spitfire, however, was one of my best friends and she’s been away for a while. It’s would be nice to really catch up.

We walked to a local boutique, and the mare working there immediately jumped up to greet us. She seemed to be a big fan of the Wonderbolts and was in awe of Spitfire. She told me to wait in the “husband chair” while she took measurements. After, the mare quickly found dresses in her size and Spitfire tried them on.

“What about this one?” Spitfire asked as she came out in the third dress.
“I think it looks lovely, Miss Spitfire,” the mare said.

“That’s the third time you’ve said that. I want to know what Golden thinks.”

“It brings out your eyes,” I said.

“That’s it? Can you please say something more? I want to know what you really think. Am I hot or not?”

“You know, it’s a little hard talking about how hot your friend is when you’re engaged.”

“I think you look hot,” The mare said.

“Come on, Golden. We’re friends, we know we’re friends, Octavia knows we’re friends. You can tell me anything and no pony would think anything of it. So, what do you really think?”

“I think you look beautiful, Spits.”

“Thanks Golden.”

Spitfire tried on a few more dresses and bought them all. The mare jumped up in excitement, but I wasn’t sure if that was because her idol bought dresses from her or if she just made a big sale. Either way, she was happy to help us and she was kind enough to earn a few extra bits. I offered to carry the bags for her, but Spitfire said that she was fine and still owed me a cup of coffee. She carried them all to the café where I had the second best cup of coffee of my life.

“So, this new cadet comes running up to me,” I said while we sat at the café “and he was crying ‘Captain Shining is going to kill me!’. So I told him-”

“Hi, Golden,” A mare said from behind me.

“Self Portrait?” I said while adjusting myself to get a better look at her, “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I know. What are you doing here with Spitfire?”

“I’m moving back to town and Golden and I were catching up. What about you? What have you been up to?”

“Oh, you know, just painting. Listen Golden, I heard that you and Octavia were getting married.”

“In about a month,” I said with a smile.

“Cute. So, why wasn’t I invited?”

“I’m sure Octavia invited you, but your invite probably got lost in the mail.”

“So, I’m invited?”

“Yeah. I’ll talk to Octavia about sending you another invite and try to RSVP as soon as you get it.”

“Thanks Golden,” she said and then giving me an awkward hug and walked away.

“Is she really invited?” Spitfire asked after a few seconds.

“Of course not. We really want to make it a friends and family thing.”

“Out of curiosity, whose guest list am I on.”

“Mine. Octavia’s family is pretty big, with three aunts on either side, two uncles on her dad’s side, and more than fifteen cousins. We decided that our friends are going to be my guests.”

“So, you didn’t want her to be there.”

“Why would I? She’s just some mare that I vaguely knew from high school. If I invited everypony I knew from high school, and most of them have asked, then I wouldn’t have any room for those that mattered.”

“What about Blueblood? Is he going to be an annoyance?”

“He’s still being punished, so everything should go off without a hitch. And besides, there is no way that I would ever let him within a thousand feet of Octy.”

Spitfire and I finished our coffee and walked back the apartment. I again offered to carry the bags for her, but she insisted on carrying her dresses. When we got back, Vinyl had left and I assumed that she went to her club. Spitfire went into her room to put her stuff away and I started making dinner for the two of us. By the time I had finished, Spitfire came out of her room in a different outfit.

“Hey, I’m going out to Vinyl’s club. You should come with.”

“I don’t think I’ll fit in there.”

“Why would you say that?”

“The Captain of the Royal Guard, one of the biggest narks in the world, going to night club. Yeah there’s absolutely no way that could go wrong.”

“Alright, then come with me to protect me. A hot thing like me is bound to attract a creep or two. I’m sure they’ll stay away if they see me with you.”

“We both know that you can handle any guy that comes your way, Spits.”

“Alright, no more Miss. Nice-Mare. You’re going to come with me or else I’m telling Octavia that we had a fling before the two of you hooked up in Applewood. And by ‘hooked up’ I mean I was your first.”

“She wouldn’t believe you.”

“Do you really want to take that risk?”

“Damn you,” I said after thinking about it. I put the food and the refrigerator to save it for another day.

In reality, I was right. There was no way that Octy would ever believe something like that, but I wanted an excuse to get out. The problem with being the Captain is it comes with a stigma. Everywhere I go, ponies act different around me. They act as if they just committed a crime and they’re trying to cover it up. It’s why I only go out with Octy. I don’t know if it’s her or if they see me differently when I’m out with another pony, but ponies act differently around me.

I didn’t change, as what I was wearing seemed appropriate. The club wasn’t too far from the apartment. The problem came when we saw the line. Vinyl had told us that she was popular, but the line was at least a block long. Spitfire said that she could get us in.

“Hold it ma’am,” the bouncer said. “Name?”

“I’m not on the list, but my name is Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts.”

“Well Miss. Spitfire, you still have to wait in line with everypony else.”

“But our friend is the DJ and she asked us to stop by before the club opens.”

“Vinyl didn’t say anything about anypony stopping by. Sorry ma’am, but you have to wait in line.”

“Hold on,” I said. “Captain Golden Shield, when’s the last time this place was up for review?”

“A few months ago. We should be set for a while.”

“Usually yes, but the royal guard has gotten some complaints recently.”

“What are you talking about?” The bouncer said a little bit concerned.

“Look, I shouldn’t be telling you this,” I said as I got close to him and started to talk softer, “we have an informant running a secret inspection tonight. Let’s say you let me and my friend in a bit early. Then I’ll be able to do my own inspection and make sure this club stays open.”

“Alright,” he said after a few moments of thought, “you two are in.” He lifted the felt rope and let the two of us into the club.

“How did you do that?” Spitfire asked as we walked down a flight of stairs.

“You’re not the only pony around here whose name holds value. You really should see what happens when Octy and I go out to dinner.”

The club is a two story, high ceiling building. There is a dance floor, a bar, a raised DJ platform, a sky loft, which holds 35 ponies, a “Chill out salon”, which holds 50, and several VIP rooms, as well as a few back rooms too for the owner and employees. The building could hold about 15,000 ponies, not including staff and the extra rooms. The building is outfitted with the latest and loudest surround system and a new light up dance floor. Vinyl was up on the DJ platform, setting up for the night.

“Vinyl!” Spitfire shouted to get her attention. She smiled at us and got down to meet us.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“Spitfire wanted to go out and she dragged me along.”

“Cool. There’s nothing going on here, so why don’t we hang out in my changing room until the club opens.”

The three of us headed back to Vinyl’s room. The room was pretty plain, but that’s how Vinyl liked it. There were two couches, a small, water stained coffee table between them, and a small rack of clothing. She explained that she would wear different outfits depending on what the club wanted the ponies to do. As it turns out, ponies pay a good amount of attention to the DJ. If they needed to sell more drinks, then she would wear something that has a brand on it. This time, however, the club didn’t need anything tonight, so she wore a white tank top and skinny jeans.

We talked for what seemed like an hour. Some pony knocked on the door to tell Vinyl that it was almost her shift. We looked at the clock and realized that we had been taking about three hours. Vinyl threw on her headphones and her sun glasses and walked out of the room. She said that she would try and finish quickly and then hang out with us later in the night. Spitfire, wanting to socialize, went out to the dance floor. I wasn’t too interested in the dry humping ponies call dancing, so I just made my way to the bar and ordered a soda.

After a few hours of sitting at the bar and talking to anypony who cared, I decided to leave. This just wasn’t a place for me and I’m sure Spitfire would understand. I looked up and didn’t see Vinyl on the platform. I figured she was on the dance floor having a good time in the club.

I found Spitfire and told her I was going home. She tried to convince me to stay, but I already made up my mind. On my way out, I saw Vinyl trying to fight off some guy. He was grabbing at her and saying something I couldn’t make out. It couldn’t have been anything good, seeing as Vinyl looked disgusted.

Everything went by in an instant after that. I pulled the guy off of Vinyl, he said some things, I said some things, and he was on the floor with a black eye before I knew it.

“Golden!” Vinyl screamed.

I didn’t say anything in response. I looked at him and then back at Vinyl. She wanted me to say something, but I couldn’t. I just left. The walk home was longer than I remember. Canterlot seemed so dark and long. It might have been because I just punched a guy in the face. The funny thing is, I don’t feel bad about it.

When I got home, I sat in the living room and started reading. If somepony walked in, they would have sworn that I was there all night. I tried not to think about what happened, which is easier done than said. It really was like I was here all night.

It was about 2AM when Spitfire and Vinyl finally came home.

“Are you alright, Vinyl?” I asked putting down the book and standing up.

She didn’t respond. Vinyl just walked past me and went to her room.

“Vinyl! Vinyl! What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know. She wouldn’t talk about what happened and she kept changing the subject whenever I brought it up.”

“I messed up, didn’t I?”

“You did what any member of the royal guard would do. If it makes you feel better, no one is pressing charges. Everypony in the club saw what happened and if he does, then he has to admit to sexual harassment. You’ve had a long day, go get some rest.”

“Alright. Good night, Spitfire.”

“Night Golden Boy.”

I went to sleep surprisingly easily. It might have been because I was tired or because there wasn’t anything really bothering me, but I fell asleep almost instantly. The one thing that I have missed over the past few days is cuddling next to Octy.

I woke up the next morning and began making coffee and breakfast for Vinyl and Spitfire. Spitfire came out of her room the second I finished making breakfast, but there was still no sign of Vinyl.

“Vinyl!” I said, trying to talk to her through the door. “I made breakfast.”

“Not hungry,” she said back to me.

“Alright, well it’s out here if you want it. Hey, I’m going to the castle for dinner tonight. You want to come?”

“Nah.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Later.”

“That was weird.” I said to Spitfire as I walked away from Vinyl’s door.

“What?”

“Vinyl’s up, but she’s just sitting in her room. She never just sits in her room.”

“I wouldn’t look too much into it. She’s probably still in shock about last night. Give her time.”

I spent the rest of the day with Star. It took some time and two lattés, but I finally got her to tell me what really happened to her ex-fiancé. The two were deeply in love, or at least she loved him. After high school, they moved into an apartment together. He worked as much as he could so Star wouldn’t have to lift a finger. Everything in her life was perfect. He proposed to her as soon as he got the money together to get her the most beautiful ring she has ever seen. The stress of planning a wedding started to put a strain on their relationship. They started to let the little things get to them and they argued more and more. He snapped and slept with Starlight. Star later learned that Starlight had be sending him messages for years and he never told her about Star. With the help of the twins, Star got enough money together to move to Canterlot and pay for the first few months of rent.

After spending the day with Star, I headed home to get ready for dinner. Vinyl was in the living room, but left when I opened the door.

“You know Vinyl, if something is wrong you can talk to me.”

“We’re good,” she said after the door closed.

“Where’s Spits?”

“Out with her team.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me to the Castle?”

“Nah.”

“Can you give me an answer that is longer than a sentence?”

“When I feel like it.”

Usually, I would try and figure out what was wrong with her, but I had to get ready. I considered wearing my captain’s uniform, but I was still on vacation and didn’t really want to wear it. I just threw on a suit and headed to the castle.

As usual, there was a long line out the door, but there is a special entrance for VIP guests that Cadence and I used all the time. There was the option of just going straight in, but I wanted to see somepony first.

“Hey beautiful,” I said when Cadence opened the door to her room.

“Golden!” Cadence threw her arms around me gave me one of the tightest hugs she has ever given anypony. “I missed you so much. I feel like I never see you outside of this castle. Come in, I have so much to tell you.”

“How have you been?” I asked her as she worked on her hair and make-up.

“Stressed. You have no idea how hard it is being a princess and plan a wedding.”

“No, but I know how hard it is to be Captain of the Royal Guard and plan a wedding.”

“In fairness, Octavia is doing most of the planning. She only comes to you because she wants your input on a decision.”

“Fair enough. Speaking of future husbands, where is Shining?”

“He’s helping Detective Homes with a case. While I’m glad he’s doing what he loves, but it’s hell making all these decisions without him. Sometimes, I wish that somepony could take my place for all this planning stuff.”

“Amen to that.”

“What about you? What’s new with you?”

“Spitfire is moving back to Canterlot.”

“I heard. Has she found a place to stay?”

“Yeah, she’s taking Coco’s spot as our new roommate.”

“Okay. How do I look?” She stood up from her vanity. She was wearing a red dress with white accents and white belt around her stomach.

“Beautiful,” I said as I too stood up.

“Shall we?”

Cadence took my arm and we walked to the main hall. Cadence has this irradiant beauty about her. Everywhere she goes, even if she is in just in a t-shirt and jeans, ponies always take a second look at her and tonight was no exception. If anything, Cadence looked more beautiful than she had in months. And this is happiest I’ve seen her in months. Granted, the only time I’ve seen her in months has something to do with work or she’s planning the wedding.

“Name?” The guard at the door said as the two of us approached him.

“Are you seriously going to deny Princess Cadence and Prince Golden Shield access to a room in their own home?” I asked.

“I’m sorry sir. I was just following protocol. I didn’t realize-”

“I’m just messing with you Flash.”

“Oh, yes sir.”

“Relax,” Cadence said, “you’re doing a good job.”

“Permission to speak freely, sir.” Flash asked before we could walk past him.

“Granted.”

“I just wanted to say thank you. I know I messed up when I was younger, but you didn’t give up on me. I know you had to fight Captain Armor and Captain Nightingale to get me into the training session and I want to thank you for not giving up on me.”

“Don’t mention it kid.”

The two of us walked into the ballroom and were met with a roar of applause. Cadence and I took out seats at the main table. We began to socialize and do a bit of catching up. We made plans to meet up tomorrow, but my future plans weren’t at the forefront of my mind. Sitting a few seats from Cadence was Rarity, giving me a few strange looks. I tried my best not to look her way, but that would also mean not talking to Cadence.

I eventually couldn’t ignore Rarity. Giles gave me a note telling me to meet her immediately and her room key with it. I looked over to where Rarity was sitting to see her seat was empty.  Either ponies need to stop giving me their keys or we need to have more on hand. Either way, I have to go let Rarity into her room.

Rarity was staying in the north tower. While not too far away from the ballroom, it was still a long walk, or it felt that way. There was a silence in the air, like the castle knew what I was going to do. The castle always had this weird way about it. When I was happy, everything seemed brighter. When I was upset, everything was somber or darker. And, in a situation like this, it gave me the silence I needed to think.

This time, I was thinking about what I was going to say to her. I figured the best thing to do was just to tell her the truth, or at least try to. Rarity can easily control a conversation and could almost completely stop another pony from talking.

“Oh good, darling,” Rarity said as I she saw me climb the stairs.

“Well there is only one key.”

“I wish I would have known that. Won’t you come in?”

“I would but, I-”

“I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

Rarity grabbed me by the key and me by the arm. As quickly as she could, she opened the door and pushed me inside. She then entered the room and locked the door behind her, having a pleased smile on her face the entire time.

“Lovely room,” Rarity said.

“It is. Look, I have-”

“Everything is so expertly done. The detail in every inch of this room is just magnificent. Wouldn’t you agree, darling?”

“They did an amazing job. There’s-”

“And this view. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this gorgeous of a view of this beautiful city. Are you enjoying the view?” She asked as she wiggled her hips.

“I need to tell you something.”

“No need, darling, I already know.”

“You do?”

“Yes. I know that you love me and you want to make me your princess. I’ve felt it since we first met in Ponyville and I’m ready for you.” Rarity started to take of her dress with a smile. She had a look in her eyes that I’ve seen before, in Lavender.

“Rarity!” I said before her dress could fall to the ground. “We can’t do this. Rarity, I don’t love you. I’m engaged to my marefriend of eight years. It’s become physically impossible for me to love anypony else. Rarity, you’re a great mare and an even better friend and I’m sure there is somepony out there for you, but it’s not me.”

“But…I felt something…”

“Maybe you felt the start of a wonderful friendship. Rarity, you are an amazing friend and you are going to make some colt very happy, but you have to wait for him.”

“Thank you,” Rarity said as she started to cry and hug me. She started to talk to me about her problems and I helped her through some things. She felt insecure with herself because none of the colts would look at her. I tried to reassure her that it was just because she was a strong mare and they were afraid that they weren’t good enough for her.

Rarity and I talked a bit longer before she said she was feeling tired and asked me to leave. I thought about leaving and going home, but I felt like going up to the balcony. Cadence apparently had the same idea, as she was looking over the edge when I got there.

“Penny for your thoughts,” I said as I walked next to her.

“I was just thinking about things.”

“Really? Because it looked like you were thinking about stuff.”

“I was thinking about when we first met in our old play room. I thought you were the weirdest colt ever and there was no way that we would ever be friends. But, the more we played, the closer we got and you became my best friend. Golden, you’ve been my best friend for years and I wouldn’t change a thing. It sucks that the only time we really get to see each other is when one of us needs something from the other. That’s why I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

“Me too.”

Cadence and I smiled and hugged the only way best friends could hug. I didn’t stay long after that because we were both tired.  I walked home with a smile on my face. I couldn’t think of anything that could bring me down.

When I got home, I took a seat in the living room and loosened my tie. I took a deep breath in and finally relaxed. Vinyl soon took the seat next to me and opened a beer.”

“We need to talk,” Vinyl said after taking a drink.

“About what?”

“If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been acting weird around you. At first, it was because I was mad at you. I didn’t need your help at the club last night. Colts try to grab at me all the time and I always fight them off. Then I realized, I was really mad at myself for being mad at you. You were just doing what comes natural to you and protecting your friends. I don’t know, maybe I thought I was mad at you because you have everything and I don’t.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look at you. You have your dream job, you’re getting married to the mare of your dreams, and you have a great relationship with your mom. What do I have? I job where colts treat me like a fuck toy, a bunch of notches on my bedpost, and parents who don’t even want to talk to me. Golden, the reason we got this place is because my parents kicked me out when I graduated. Maybe I sleep with so many colts because I hope that one of them would want something more and I don’t have to be the only one that thinks I matter.”

“Vinyl, Octavia and I will always think you matter and there is nothing you could do to change that.”

“I want to believe that, but what happens when you guys have a kid, move out, and forget about me? What happens when I get too old and the club or anyone wants me anymore? I’ll just sit here, drinking a beer thinking about how I wasted my life. You’ve got your life planned out everything is still ahead of you, but I never plan more than a week in advance.”

“First off, you won’t be sitting here alone drinking a beer because I’ll be drinking it with you.” I took the beer from her and took a drink. “Second, we are never going to forget you. If we move out, you’re moving with us, and there is no way you’re saying ‘no’. You are a big part of both of our lives that we will never forget you. In fact, we’ve been talking and I’m not saying that we’re planning anything or guaranteeing anything, but we want you to be our first kid’s godmother.”

“You’re really going to sit here and kill your liver with me?”

“Until the day it dies screaming.”

Vinyl started to laugh and smile. The two of us started to talk and joke around while we shared that beer. Talking to her made me feel like we were in high school. I kept my promise to her too. Every so often, while the two of us are alone and sitting in the living room, Vinyl would open a beer, the two of us would share it, and we would joke around like were are two high school seniors. And it’s the best beer I’ve ever had.

> Chapter 30: Wedding (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somepony once said all good things must come to an end. Whoever said this was proven right again. Things started to get hectic a few weeks after I returned to work. Ponies were scared that Discord or something worse was going to attack. Although Celestia guaranteed that Discord wasn’t going to return to take over Equestria, ponies were still worried. This forced Foxtrot to come up with a contingency plan and asked for my help while still attending to my duties as Captain.

Octavia was starting to feel the stress of planning a wedding. Usually, Octavia and Cadence would meet whenever they can to plan their weddings. Cadence, however, has gotten sick, leaving Octavia to plan everything by herself. To make things worse for her, I was so busy at work that she had to make every decision by herself. Not only that, but Signed continually got her jobs and scheduled concerts. Octavia had become so stressed, that falling asleep was the highlight of her day. She wouldn’t even wait for me to come home anymore.

The worst part of it all was Blueblood’s lawyer. He talked to Shining while I was in Applewood and tricked him into changing Blueblood’s sentence. Blueblood can now freely roam around the castle, but he must be put under a silence spell if he is to leave. Unfortunately, Blueblood didn’t want to leave the castle and liked to bug me. He would give me some job that “only the Captain could do”. I thought of anything I could do to seem busy, that’s when I saw the beautiful stack of applications on my desk.

“You busy?” Nightingale said as he came into the office while I was reading an application.

“Yeah, I need to-”

“I mean with actual work not just stuff you’re doing to avoid the blue baboon.”

“No, but don’t tell anypony.”

“Go home.” 

“It’s noon. Your shift doesn’t start for another seven hours and Shining’s out patrolling the streets. I need to be here in case of an emergency.” I started to rub my eyes, not realizing how little sleep I’ve been getting.

“You’re tired, Golden. I’ll cover you. Go home, get some rest, and spend some time with your fiancée before the big day. You’ve been telling me that you two barely see each other because of work.”

“Are you sure you can handle a fifteen hour shift?”

“I don’t need much sleep. This is the last time I’m going to tell you this. Go home.”

There wasn’t anything I could have done to change his answer. I tossed the application on my desk and left the office. I was about to walk out the front door when I thought about Cadence. There couldn’t be any harm in checking in on a friend.

“Cadence,” I said as I knocked on the door, “are you okay?”

“Perfectly fine,” She said opening the door. She looked completely fine. “And call me Princess Mi Amore Cadenza while you are in the castle.”

“Hang on, you hate it when people call you the ‘M’ phrase.”

“That is when I was a foal. I am an adult now Captain Golden Shield.”

“Okay, but why aren’t you sick. Yesterday you could barely talk because you were sneezing every few seconds.”

“Miracles of modern medicine. Is there something you needed?”

“I was just checking in on you. Are you sure you’re okay? You’re acting a little weird.”

“I’m fine Captain Golden Shield. Now if you excuse me, I have a wedding to plan.”

“Wait, you’re planning without Octavia?”

“She came by earlier and we talked. I wanted to have my wedding first and she disagreed. I decided that I don’t need her. If I can manage my duties as princess, I can plan a wedding.” Cadence then shut the door on me, leaving me confused.

I would have been more worried, but this could be one of the times where Octavia and I could just enjoy each other’s company. Besides, she might just be trying to recover from her illness. Not wanting to give off the idea that I was on duty, I went to the locker room to change into my street clothes and then walked home.

It’s a little odd walking through the city in the middle of the day. I know I should be working, but here I am in my street clothes. Ponies looked at me different. They didn’t see me as captain of the royal guard or a prince. They didn’t see me as someone getting married or someone who is friends with the Captain of the Wonderbolts. I was just another pony to them. It was nice knowing that no pony expected anything from me. It’s nothing that I could get used to, but it’s a nice treat.

When I got home, Octavia had pictures of cakes spread across the coffee table. The pictures were surrounded by various pieces of paper and a few earlier versions of the invitations. Octavia herself was sitting on the couch comparing two pictures.

“Golden!” She said when she heard the door close behind me. “What are you doing here?”

“Nightingale is covering my shift, so we could spend some time together.”

“Perfect. You can help me pick out a cake design. I was thinking about this one-”

“Octavia,” I said as I took her hands, “this is the first time in a while that we’re both free. Why don’t we just take some time to enjoy ourselves?”

Octavia looked at me with her beautiful eyes and smiled. We stayed like this for a few minutes, just enjoying each other. There is an old horror writer believed that the eyes were the gateway into the soul. If he’s right, then Octavia’s soul is the most beautiful thing in the world. There was honesty, kindness, loyalty, laughter, and generosity. I was overwhelmed by an amazing warmth and love. Octavia eventually broke my trance by getting up and leading me to the bedroom.

Things between us got better as the wedding drew closer. We took time out of our days just to say “I love you”. I would sneak out or get somepony to cover for me so I could help Octavia plan the wedding. There were a few small arguments here and there, but nothing we couldn’t get through. The only thing that really upset her was Cadence and Shining moving their wedding a week before ours.

I wish things were this easy at the castle. First, there was the letter. The day after I left early, Canterlot received a threat from an unknown source. We put Homes on it immediately, but all he could figure out was that it from a pony. Whoever sent this seriously wants to cause harm to ponies everywhere. Needless to say, we took action and went on high alert. Homes got as many ponies together to try and figure out who sent it. Foxtrot, who had just finished her plan for Discord’s return, started to re-train her soldiers and started pushing them harder than ever before. Nightingale and I started to do the same with our guards and somewhat rushed the new recruits so they could be ready for anything. Shining, however, had the hardest job. Shining had to cast a shield spell over Canterlot. Because the shield was so big and had to be so powerful, the spell cause Shining to have massive headaches. I wanted him to teach me the spell, so we could switch off and his headaches would go away, but he wanted me to concentrate on the new recruits.

Second, there is Cadence. I don’t know what’s gotten into her lately, but she’s been acting different. She’s been acting more distant and cold. She’s been demanding things from the maids and workers around the castle. Everything about her wedding needs to be perfect. She’s even yelled at somepony because a tablecloth was ivory white instead of snow white. And then there’s that whole “Mi Amore Cadenza” thing. Not only does she want me to use the “M” phrase, but she wants “Princess” in front of it. All of that I could probably mark up to pre-wedding stress, but she started hanging around Blueblood. Just the thought of it sends a shiver down my spine.

I’m really hoping all of this was just because of the wedding and Cadence is back to normal as soon as possible. At least Twilight is coming into town today and seeing her always makes me happy. She always has some sort of fascinating story about Ponyville that always brightens my day. I only wish that she would come by more often, but she is growing into a strong, busy, independent mare.

I went to work that day knowing I had some actual work to do. Nightingale has really been pushing the new recruits hard, so he gave them the day off from training. However, they’re not off the hook. Because of the threat, we need as many guards as possible for Cadence’s wedding tomorrow, so I have to put them through some instruction and give them their designated areas.

Dealing with new recruits isn’t an easy job. Everypony sees the Royal Guards as above the law or ponies who should be worshiped. We are really a group of ponies who want to protect Equestria and the ponies who live here. We don’t do it for the honor or fame. We could be paid nothing and still come in with a smile on our faces. Unfortunately, most new recruits don’t understand that and think they’re as important as Celestia. That’s why we’re so hard on them while they’re in training. By the end of it all, they need to understand that what they are doing isn’t for themselves.

“You all know your jobs for tomorrow?” I asked the group of new recruits.

“Sir, yes sir.” They said back to me.

“Report to them at 0600 tomorrow morning. You are dismissed for the day.” The group quickly disbanded, as none of them wanted to stay in their guard uniforms.

“Captain,” Cadence said as she approached me from behind.

“Princess,” I responded. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“How many ponies will be on guard for my wedding tomorrow?”

“Most of them that are scheduled to show up. There are some that have the day off and others need to patrol the streets.”

“I want them all here,” Cadence said with a stern look on her face.

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t just give somepony the day off and then force them to come in to work. And we still need to have guards on the streets.”

“Very well, but I only want a limited number of ponies out patrolling. The rest need to be at my wedding.”

I sighed out of complete annoyance of this new Cadence. “I’ll see what I can do, Princess Cadence.”

“It’s Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.”

“No it’s not. It’s Cadence, it’s always been Cadence, and it will always be Cadence. What’s gotten into you?”

“What are you talking about? There is nothing wrong with me.”

“Yes there is. You have been way more demanding than usual. And do you even know what you did to Octavia?”

“I know I don’t care.”

“Listen to yourself. You just said that you don’t care about one of your best friends. I’m worried about you.”

“There is nothing to worry about. I’m just growing up and I need to make some decisions. That’s why I want to be called Mi Amore Cadenza. Cadence is a child’s nickname. As for Octavia, she didn’t want anything to do with Mi Amore Cadenza, so we’re not friends any more. I have to ask you, Captain Golden Shield: Are you willing to adapt to this new pony standing in front of you?”

“I guess not,” I said after a few moments of silence.

“Alright then. I’m sorry it must end this way, Captain Golden.” Cadence left me in silence and walked away. I honestly could not believe that I just lost my best friend.

I tried to distract myself by going back to my office and doing paperwork. It worked for a little while, but I kept thinking about Cadence. We’ve been through so much together and now she doesn’t want anything to do with me. How could a friend, even a grown up, say all the years we spent together didn’t mean anything? How can anypony say that they don’t care about somepony that used to be their friend? Something was wrong with Cadence, but I can’t figure it out. Maybe she’s right. Maybe she did grow up and the pressures of being a princess turned her into this.

I looked at the clock and realized that I was doing paperwork for hours. I needed to get home. I just wanted a distraction from the whole Cadence thing, but I guess this worked out too well. Changing out of my guard uniform and into my street clothes, I tried to leave the castle as fast as I could. Twilight, however, caught my eye. She was sitting in a hallway with a depressed look on her face.

“What’s wrong, Twily?” I asked as I sat next to her.

“You wouldn’t believe me,” she said holding back tears.

“You are the smartest mare I know.” I threw my arm around Twilight and started to hold her close. “Why wouldn’t I believe anything you say?”

“Well…okay. I think Cadence has turned evil. She’s been horrible to my friends, got rid of her old bride’s maids, and she casted a spell on my brother that made his eyes go crazy.”

“I think evil is a little much.”

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me…”

“I believe you, but I don’t think ‘evil’ is the right word. She’s changed, but what can you do?”

Twilight was silent for a little while as a familiar look came over her face. Twilight wasn’t just thinking, she was formulating a plan. Usually, I would be all over one of Twilight’s plans because they usually result in some sort of invention or something scientific happening. With the wedding coming up and the new, strict Cadence, I don’t think one of her plans is the best thing right now.

“Whatever you’re thinking,” I said as I stood up, “just be careful.”

“I will.” Twilight stood up, gave me a hug, and ran off. I would have followed her, but there is another mare that I need to talk to.

I walked home as fast as I could. I just needed to open up to somepony and Octavia is one of the only ponies that I can truly trust. I can tell her anything and she can do the same with me. That’s why we work so well together. We trust each other as much as we trust ourselves.

I couldn’t open the door fast enough and expected to see the girls smiling and laughing as they told stories. What I did find was Vinyl and Spitfire sitting in the living room with a somber look on their faces.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. Spitfire got up and gave me a hug.

“Go to your room,” she said as she let go.

“Where’s Octy?” I asked with concern.

“Just, go to your room.”

I didn’t want to ask a second time. I ran to my room, hoping to find Octavia. She wasn’t in my room and neither was her cello. I checked the drawers and everything of her. They were all empty. And then I saw it. The ring, her broken bow from the Grand Galloping Gala, and a letter in her handwriting.

Dear Golden Shield,

The last few years have been the best few years of my life. I have been so blessed to know you and even more blessed that out of every mare, you asked me to marry you. You made me smile at every turn and I cannot thank you enough for that. While we have had a fight here or there, it was nothing that we couldn’t through and you made sure I never went to bed angry. You are a light in pure darkness and you can make any mare happy.

While I will always love and treasure every second we spent together, it’s with a heavy heart I tell you that I cannot marry you. It’s because I am afraid. I am afraid that one of us would change too much and then one of us would do something that one of us would regret. I can’t even imagine a time where I can’t love you and am afraid that it will come. I understand if you are angry with me and I can only ask that you forgive me.

Please don’t try to find me,

Octavia Melody

I couldn’t believe this. Part of me didn’t want to believe it. For a little while, I thought that Vinyl was playing a prank on me and Octavia was hiding in the bathroom or something, but she wasn’t. Octavia left me. I just wanted this awful day to end, so I tried to go to sleep.

Everything seemed darker the next day. It should have been a happy day, but I couldn’t find a way to smile. I wanted to lay in bed all day, but I found myself on auto-pilot. I took a shower, got dressed, and I was at work before I knew it.

“Good morning,” Celestia said as she came into my office. I was sitting at my desk getting ready to go patrol.

“Morning,” I said with a somber tone.

“I heard about you and Cadence. Give her time. I’m sure the stress of the wedding made her a little…crazy. I’m sure seeing her getting married will make you happy and I know she would love seeing you there.”

“I’m not going to the wedding.”

“Why not?” She asked with concern.

“Because she told me that she didn’t want me there. Even if we’re not friends, I’m still going to respect her wishes. Besides, somepony still has to patrol the streets.”

“Okay, but the doors will be open if you change your mind. Cadence might not want to see you, but I’m sure Shining would love it.” She said as she started to leave.

“Wait mom,” I said as I stood up from my chair.

“Yes sweetie?”

I ran up to her and hugged her. She was surprised at first, but hugged back when I started crying. “Octavia left me,” I said through my tears.

“When and why? You two seemed so happy.”

“She was afraid that one of us would stop loving the other. She left me a note telling me why she left and gave me back the ring. I don’t know what to do?”

“It’s going to be alright,” she said while stroking the back of my head. She used her magic to close and lock the door to the office and started to sing the lullaby she sang when I was a colt.

“Feeling better?” She asked as my crying died down.

“A little,” I said letting go of her. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do anymore.”

“This is what I think you should do. Go to Cadence wedding, if not that then at least go to the reception. Tell Cadence how much she means to you and how much you value her friendship. Trust me, all of the problems between you two will go away instantly. Tomorrow, you are going to take the day off and look for Octavia. Tell her that you are never going to stop loving her. Ensure her that no matter what happens, you plan to be with her for the rest of your lives.”

“Okay…” I said, straightening myself up so I could go on patrol. “Thank you mom.”

“Anytime you need me, I’ll be here for you sweetie. I’ll see you at reception.”

As much as I wanted to go to the wedding, somepony still had to make sure the Canterlot streets are safe. While we did assign some guards to be out there during the wedding, there should be at least one Captain ready for action. I would have asked Nightingale, but he covered for me that one day and I wouldn’t want to impose. Plus Flash asked me to go and mentor him during one of his patrols. Now seems like the perfect time to do it.

I changed into a set of captain’s armor and met Flash. Since his arrest, Flash has made a surprising turn around. First, I never heard his name brought up by anypony again. For the most part, he was just helping out around town when he could. I even heard some of the guards say he should apply for training. That’s when I saw his application in the reject pile for one of our training sessions. I asked Nightingale and Shining why he was denied and they both said they didn’t want to work with a criminal. It took some time and testimonies from the other guards, but I was able to get him into the session. Shining promised that he would have Flash running home by the end of week one, but Flash proved to be unbreakable. Since then, Flash has proven himself to be a spectacular guard.

“Are you ready to go, sir?” He asked as I approached him. He had a smile on his face and looked as if I was his big brother taking him to the candy store.

“You seem happy,” I said without stopping my pace and walking past him. He caught on and started to walk with me.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I get to work with one of the finest guards ever. Is it true that you took on a changeling when you were 17?”

“I don’t like to brag, kid. I’m just here to do my job and make sure this place is safe.”

“Well it seems like this place is under lock and key since we got that threat. Why do we even have a patrol if Captain Armor has a shield around this place?”

“I’ll be honest with you,” I said while lowering my voice and looking around to make sure no pony can hear us. “Since the whole Discord thing, ponies have been worried about their safety in Canterlot. We send guards to patrol the streets to remind them that we are here and we will protect them. Plus, you never know when something might happen.”

Flash and I walked around the city for a while. We got a few enthusiastic smiles and a fruit stand offered to let us have something for free. Flash took an apple and I decided to not take anything. I really haven’t eaten since last night and I haven’t been hungry. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t distract myself from her. I still remember the letter, word for word.

“Sir?” Flash said as he tapped my shoulder. “What is that?” He pointed towards the top of the barrier where a larger black cloud had gathered. Then I realized what it was. A swarm of Changelings were throwing themselves against it in an attempt to break it and it looks like it was working.

“Flash, get as many as ponies as possible inside! You see another guard, tell them the same thing! That’s an order!”

“Yes sir!”

Flash ran off to get ponies inside. I started to do the same, hoping the streets would be cleared before the shied give way. Once an area was cleared and everypony was off the streets, I ran to another section of Canterlot. Every guard I passed was either in shock, and I had to snap them out of it, or already following my orders.

I was in the middle of getting ponies into a library when the shield broke. There were still some ponies behind me who were frozen in place out of fear of what was going to happen next. The changelings started to break off and came flying towards the streets. And that’s when I saw her.

“Octavia!” I shouted at her as I ran towards her. She turned to me with fear in her eyes. I grabbed her, held her close to me and teleported us back to the apartment.

“Golden?” She said as when she realized what happened.

“What’s going on?” Vinyl asked as she walked out of her room. When she saw Octavia, she ran up to her and gave her the biggest hug she has given anypony. “Tavi! What happened to you? Don’t you ever scare me like that again!”

“Is Spitfire still here?” I asked.

“I’m right here,” she said as she walked out of her room. “What’s going on?”

“The changelings are attacking. You three stay here and do not open the door for anypony until this thing is over.”

“Where are you going?” Vinyl asked.

“I have to protect Canterlot, but more importantly, you three. I have to go.”

“Wait,” Octavia said before I could teleport back out. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“It has to wait, but I promise I will be back for you. I love you.”

“I love you too…” Octavia said with tears in her eyes. I wanted to bad to stay and tell Octavia how much I loved her. I wanted to be with her so bad, but I couldn’t. If I really want to spend more time with her and love her, then I must protect Canterlot.

I teleported back to where I was when the shield broke. Already the city was in chaos. Changelings and guards chasing each other, changeling already looking for the next victim, some passed out on the floor, some guards stuck to something by this green goo, and some changelings giving me an evil smile.

I had to fight my way through the first wave of changelings. It was harder than I thought because I didn’t want to kill them or cause them much harm, as it’s just something I was willing to do. Lucky for me, I learned a defensive spell which could easily knock out a body builder. The first wave was a snap, but there was more than just a few hundred. I saw swarms of these things attacking Canterlot. I started running through the city, defeating any changelings I could and saving any pony in danger of these things.

Hearing a foal yell, I turned down an alley to see he was about to be attacked by a changeling. I said something insulting to get its attention and he turned to me. There was anger in his eyes and he started to growl. Without warning, he spit the goo at me, which hit me and pinned me to the ground. I tried to use the spell on him, but he thought of that too and spat more goo at my horn. At first it thought it just interrupted my spell, but it actually caught and absorbed it.

“Wait,” it said with the signature, twisted changeling voice, “I know you.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked while trying to get up.

“Oh this is going to be good. I’m the changeling that infiltrated the castle. Remember, I turned into that Octavia slut.”

“What did I say about calling her a slut?”

“What are you going to do to me?” It said as it kicked me. “I’m going to make this as embarrassing as possible.”

He used his horn to remove the goo, but started dragging me before I could get up. I started thrashing about, in hopes that I could get free, but he was too strong. When we got to the middle of the street, he pinned me again with the goo. He then let out a whistle, which called a group of changeling surrounded me.

“Alright boys, this little fucker tried to break my arms once. What do you think we should do to him?”

“Beat the shit out of him!” They shouted.

Without warning the group of changelings started to beat me. Most of the time, they were just kicking and stepping on me. One of them had the intention of breaking my arm, which he couldn’t do. Every so often, one of them would get near my face and start punching it. Everything started to hurt. I couldn’t move, I could barely breathe. I was hoping that I would pass out any minute, but they casted a spell on me which woke me back up anytime I was close. The first changeling whistled and they all stopped.

“Any last words?” The changeling said.

I was breathing heavily and trying to not entertain him. I looked at him with the intention of spitting in his face, but then I saw it. Quickly coming up behind him was a pink light that was blowing all the changelings and the queen away.

“Look out,” I said and smiled. It turned around and started to scream in a panic. Like all the other changelings, the pink light swept them away and made the goo disintegrate. I tried to laugh, but everything hurt.

I laid there for what seemed like forever. I was wondering if somepony was going to find me. To my pleasure, Foxtrot and Nightingale spotted me and flew at me as fast as they could.

“Golden!” Nightingale said as they neared me. “What happened?”

“Got outnumbered,” I said in between heavy breaths.

“You two,” Foxtrot said to two passing guards, “go to the castle and get a stretcher and The Doctor, STAT.” The two guards ran off and she turned her attention back to me. “Don’t worry, we’re going to fix you up.”

“Get…my family…” I said.

“Are you sure you want them to see you like this?” Nightingale asked.

“Please…”

The two of them looked at each other and nodded. They flew off in opposite directions, one towards the castle and one towards the apartment. After a few more minutes in pain, I heard my name being shouted. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by my friends and family.

"Don't worry, Golden," Foxtrot said. "The Doctor will be here as soon as possible."

“What happened?” Celestia asked me while she was crying.

“He was attacked by a gang of changelings,” Foxtrot said. “Where the hell is The Doctor?”

“Okay, just stay calm,” Celestia said. She closed her eyes and her horn started to light up. A light came over me that I think was going to heal me, but nothing happened.

“What’s wrong?” Octavia said through her own tears.

“Did the changelings cast a spell on you?” I slightly nodded my head. “They altered him a little, meaning my magic won’t work on him for a while. Just please try and stay with us.”

“Thank you for everything, mom. I have been so fortunate that you found me all those years ago. You’ve cared for me, loved me, and asked for nothing in return and for that I can never pay you back. You’re not just some pony who loves me, you’re my mother. I want you to know that I will always love you.”

I turned my attention towards Cadence, who was crying in Shining’s arms.

“Cadence…” I said. She got down on her knees so she could be closer to me and started crying into her hands.

“I’m sorry for everything that happened,” she said when she calmed down. “It wasn’t me, Golden. It was the Queen.”

“I figured. I just want you to know that I will always care about you. Even if you’re angry with me, I’ll still want the best for you and nothing you say or do can change that.”

Cadence smiled and continued to cry. She tried to hug me, but then realized that I would probably be in too much pain or the hug would cause me to be in even more pain.

“Shining, Nightingale,” I said, “I want you guys to watch over them. Promise me they’re always going to be happy.”

“Don’t talk like that, Golden,” Shining said. “We’ve been through so much together and you didn’t give up on me then. I’ll be damned if you give up on me now.”

“Promise me.”

“Golden!” Shining said, shedding a tear.

“Promise me, Shining. Please.”

“Okay, I promise,” he said reluctantly.

“I promise too, buddy.” Nightingale said trying to hold back his own tears.

“Octy,” I said trying to smile. “I want you to know, there is nothing that either of us could do to make me stop loving you.”

“Golden, I am so sorry about what I did. You’re so young and I didn’t want you to be tied down, so I lied.”

“What do you mean?” Octavia started to smile. She took my hand and put it on her stomach and started to laugh.

“I’m pregnant,” She said.

“I’m going to be a dad?” I asked.

“Yes. I’m sorry I lied. I just didn’t want you to be tied down to family when you have your life ahead of you.”

“Octy, there is nothing I would love more than to start a family with you. I love you so much, Octavia.”

“I love you too,” she said.

“Everyone,” I said with even heavier breaths and feeling light headed, “Thank you all for being in my life. To all of you I say: I lov
> Chapter 31: Wedding (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Octavia sat in the living room of her apartment drinking a glass of wine. She had dressed herself in a beautiful dress, like she always does, but she never goes anywhere. She was alone in her apartment, but she knew that wouldn’t last long. Spitfire was on tour performing with The Wonderbolts and Vinyl was picking up our kids from school. It had been eight years since it happened and she still wasn’t over it. She looked at her cello, which was completely untouched. 

She had no drive or desire to play since I died.

The door opened and Vinyl and our children walked in. She didn’t know it at the time, but Octavia was pregnant with twins, a colt and a filly. Octavia named our unicorn filly Mystery Melody. She has beautiful, bright silver eyes, a golden coat, and a black mane. She’s a strong, athletic girl, but prefers to play the flute. Our earth pony son, Ebony Shield, Octavia decided to name after me. Ebony has a dark grey coat, like his mother, with golden tips at the end of his ears. He likes to spend time with Shining and Nightingale, who have been trying their best to fulfill their promise to me.

“Mommy!” Our kids shouted as they burst into the apartment, running up to Octavia and hugged her to which she smiled and hugged back.

“How was your day at school?” She asked our kids.

“We have to tell our class about our dad,” Ebony said.

“Can you tell us about him?” Mystery asked.

“Uh, why don’t I-” Vinyl started to say.

“It’s alright, Vinyl,” Octavia said for she was a little hesitant when it came to talking about me. She always found it hard to talk about me, as she felt she could never do me justice and she would break into tears about half way through.

“Your father was a great stallion. He was always kind and generous and never only thought about himself. I remember our first date. He set up a picnic next to the Applewood sign and told the entire city he loved me.”

“He was also one of the noblest ponies I have ever met. There was this one time, where we were younger, when a pony stole a purse. Your father and Uncle Shining chased him down, got back the purse, and didn’t even think about asking for a reward. He believed that ponies should do good without a reason. He carried that to his adulthood and became Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“Where is he?” Ebony asked. “If he’s Captain of the Royal guard, then why don’t I ever see him when I’m with Uncle Shining?”

“Ebony, that’s not something we talk about,” Vinyl said with concern.

“It’s alright,” Octavia said, “I think it’s time they learned the truth. When Uncle Shining and Auntie Cadence were getting married, Canterlot was attacked by Changelings. Your father, did what he could to ensure the safety of as many ponies as he could but there was this one Changeling that attacked a young colt, but your father saved him. He was attacked by a group of Changelings because of this and they…hurt him. The doctors tried their best, but they could not help him.”

Octavia was able to keep herself together and changed the subject to something a little happier. She told them about high school, our inside jokes, and how we constantly annoyed Vinyl, which continued to annoy her. Octavia eventually told the kids to go and play at the park not far from the apartment, which they did.

“How are you holding up?” Vinyl asked when the kids left the room.

“Fine,” Octavia said after taking a sip of wine. “I left the apartment today.”

“That’s good. Where did you go?” Octavia didn’t respond. She took another sip of wine as she tried to hold back tears. “Tavi, you can’t keep tormenting yourself like this.”

“I was paying my respects, Vinyl. Besides, I wasn’t the only one there. Princess Celestia was there too.”

Celestia didn’t take my death any easier. She did whatever she could to try and save me, but her magic wasn’t enough. She took it personally, feeling like she failed as a mother. Celestia fell into a deep depression. No pony saw her for months, not even Luna. The only reason ponies knew she was okay was because the sun would rise and set every day. She returned to her duties almost a year later, but many ponies would agree that she changed. She seemed a little more distant with every pony, with the exception of her grandchildren, who she loved very much. She came to my grave every year and broke down crying every time.

“Octavia,” Vinyl said, “It’s been eight years. You’re still wearing the ring, you’re haven’t thrown out his clothes, you haven’t even thought about sleeping on his side of the bed. Tavi, I’m only saying this because I love you. You have to get over him.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Octavia yelled. “I haven’t been able to play in years and all I ever think about is him. I want to move on, but I can’t.  I just can’t!”

Octavia ran off crying into our room. Like Vinyl said, my side of the bed was untouched and Octavia made sure it stayed like that. She climbed into the bed and cried onto her pillow. She cried for what seemed like hours before she got an idea. She looked over at the other side of the bed and yearned for my touch again. Maybe she thought that if she laid on my side, she might feel me again. She slid over to my side of the bed and laid their as if I was holding her.

I could feel her. I could feel her soft fur against my fingers. I could smell the lavender shampoo she uses. I could hear her sobs over the sounds of the hospital machines. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Octavia and I were lying in a hospital bed in the castle.

“Octavia?” I said.

“Golden!” Octavia said turning around and kissing me. After a long kiss, Octavia got out of the bed and ran into the hallway. “Everyone, Golden is awake.”

In a matter of minutes, the room was filled with my friends and family. They were all smiling and relieved that I was, in fact, still alive.

“It’s good to see you again, Doctor,” I said as he entered the room.

“It’s good to see that you remember me,” The Doctor said. “You were in a coma for a while and I fear you may have suffered cerebral damage due to prolonged inactivity. I’m going to ask you a question and all you have to do is answer it to the best of your abilities. Do you understand?”

“Completely.”

“Can you name every pony here and give a brief description?”

“Okay, first there is Shining Armor. He’s been like a brother to me and he’s Captain of the Royal Guard. He’s standing next to Cadence. I would call her by her real name, but she hates that. I assume the two of them got married while I was unconscious. Next to them is Nightingale, Captain of the Lunar Guard and my cousin.”

“Actually, we need to talk about that,” Nightingale said.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“One of the Changelings kicked you and did significant damage to some organs,” The Doctor explained. “You needed a series of surgeries and somepony needed to donate blood. Your friends wanted to donate blood to help you, but Nightingale was the only match. In fact, he was a perfect match. We did a little blood work and it turns out you two are brothers.”

“That explains why we were both in the Everfree Forest and neither of us could remember why we were there.” Nightingale said.

“What about the darkness that chased me?” I asked. “Why didn’t it chase you?”

“A spell casted by The Children of the Night,” Celestia said. “They tried to guide the both of you out, but it was too powerful a spell and they lost control. The spell took on a mind of its own and decided to terrorize the younger of the two of you.”

“Please continue, Golden,” The Doctor said.

“Alright. Of course there is Princess Celestia, my mother who rescued me and then adopted me. Her sister is Princess Luna, she is Nightingale’s mother. Spitfire over there is the Captain of the Wonderbolts. Vinyl, or her stage name DJ PON-3, is my roommate and we’ve been friends for years. Finally, Octavia, my beautiful fiancé.”

“Well, it looks like your memory is fine. We need to run a few more test and then you’ll start your physical rehab. Welcome back, Golden.”

The Doctor left the room, leaving me with my friends and family. They spent the next hour or so telling me what happened while I was unconscious. Shining and Cadence did get married, but they wanted to wait for me. They couldn’t wait any longer than a week because Twilight and her friends need to return to Ponyville. They told me it was a beautiful ceremony and visited me before leaving for their honeymoon.

Celestia and Luna did what they could to help me. They knew some healing spells, but nothing that could bring someone out of a coma. They worked on making a spell that could wake me, but they stopped trying after two weeks and focused on making me better. The Doctor told them it was their magic that saved me.

Vinyl and Spitfire helped in any way they could. They took turns staying with Octavia and being her emotional support for this whole thing. This is also where all of us learned that Vinyl had been seeing someone in secret. We didn’t get much out of her, but we did find out that he was a communications teacher at Canterlot University. They met when Vinyl went to the store to pick up food for the apartment. They were fighting over the last frozen pizza, one of Vinyl’s favorite foods, when he asked her on a date. She said yes, but had no intentions of showing up. However, there was something about him that she couldn’t resist. He took her Chef Celery Stalk and Chef Fasnacht’s new restaurant. They went on their second date soon after, and their third shortly after that. She didn’t say much after that, but I was happy that she found someone special.

Octavia stayed by me almost every second. The only time she left my bedside was to play at Cadence and Shining’s wedding. Her hope was that her music would wake me up, the wedding being her first attempt. When that didn’t work, she moved closer and played every day. Blueblood had also tried to take advantage of my unconsciousness. Lucky for me, Octavia is strong and a swift kick to his…area solved the problem. At night, she would climb in bed and sleep with me.

The Doctor came back with a few nurses to run test on me. They were trying to see if anything was still wrong with me, like broken bones or any brain damage. To everypony’s surprise, there wasn’t a thing wrong with me. No brain damage, no broken bones, no muscle damage. The Doctor believes that Celestia and Luna’s magic made me better while I was asleep. He wanted to keep me in the hospital for one more night and put me through one session of physical rehab.

The nurses carted me back to the room, where only Octavia was waiting for me. She was playing Toccata and Figure in D Minor and smiling. She always smiled when she played that song, and I think I know why. It takes her back to when we were kids and she played that song for me when I was sick. She thinks about all the good times we’ve had together and all the good times we’re going to have. She played until she was tired, at which point she climbed into the bed with me.

“I missed this,” Octavia said.

“You have no idea. In fact, I dreamt about you sleeping in my spot in our bed and then I woke up.”

“What else did you dream about?”

“Your lives after me. Celestia was depressed for a while and she never really completely recovered. She did become closer to Twilight, but she was a bit colder. Our friends were more than willing to support you and our kids.”

“Kids?” Octavia said happily.

“I dreamt that you gave birth to twins.”

“How were they?”

“They were angels. Our daughter loved playing the flute and reminded me of you in so many ways. Our son liked being with Shining and Nightingale and did anything to make you smile.”

“What about me? Was I good mother?”

“You were an amazing mother.”

We continued to talk for a little while longer before we fell asleep. I started the next day when a nurse woke me up. She brought a wheelchair with her and helped me into it. The nurse took me into a gym like room. The physical trainer came over to me and helped me walk over to two parallel bars. She told me to hold me to grab onto the bars and try to walk to the other side. It was extremely hard, as I was using my legs for the first time in a while. The trainer told me to walk back and forth until I didn’t need the bars. It took some time and I walked slowly, but I was able to walk without holding onto something. We then moved onto a few other exercises and stretches. To both of our surprise, I was able to do them with little to no pain.

After about an hour, The Doctor came to take me back to my room. Their usual policy is for patients to be wheeled back into their room, but The Doctor thought it would be good for me to take a walk. We walked back to our room, where we found Octavia and Celestia talking.

“How is he?” Celestia asked after finishing her conversation with Octavia.

“Better than he should be,” The Doctor responded. “Nothing broken, none of his vessels are busted, his lungs never even collapsed. It’s almost as if nothing ever happened to him. I believe it was the high doses of alicorn magic that kept you in such a good shape. You’re a lucky stallion, Golden.”

“I know I am,” I said with a smile.

“I’ll have you discharged tomorrow. But for now, I’m sure you’re tired of this room, so I’m giving you free roam around the castle. You can also sleep where you like, but please check-in with a nurse.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Celestia said. “I don’t know if there is anything I could ever do to repay you, but if you even need anything-”

“Princess, I don’t know how many times I’ve told you. You do not owe me anything. The only thing I require is a job here, so I can help as many ponies as possible.”

“You’re always welcome here, Doctor,” Celestia said.

“I have a few other patents to take care of. Golden, stay healthy. Ladies, stay beautiful.”

“I should go too,” Celestia said shortly after The Doctor left. “I have some ponies to meet and I’m sure you two have some things to talk about.” Celestia stood up and walked over to me. She kissed me on the forehead and hugged me. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“I love you mom,” I said as I hugged back.

“I love you too.” Celestia let go and left the room.

“What did she mean by some things we need to talk about?” I asked Octavia.

“We’re getting married tomorrow,” Octavia said.

“Why tomorrow? I’m not saying that I don’t want to get married, but why tomorrow?”

“Golden, I have waited so long for this day. I’m not waiting any longer and nothing is getting in my way. Plus, I would like to get married before I have to make any more alterations to my dress. I’ve already had to expand the bust, I would prefer not to add room to the stomach. Not only that, but guests have been arriving all day. They expect something to happen tomorrow.”

I sat next to Octavia and we started talking. A little while after, a nurse came into the room and told me I had a visitor. I told him to let them in, as I thought it was Vinyl or Cadence or anyone of my friends. To my surprise, it was a unicorn mare and a young colt.

“Hi,” I said. “Can I help you?”

“Captain Golden, my name is Scarlet Strudel and this is my son, Cloud Sweeper. We wanted to thank you for saving Cloud.”

“You saved this colt?” Octavia asked.

“A changeling was about to attack him,” I started to explain. “I distracted it before Cloud was attacked.”

“And our family can never repay you, Captain Golden,” Scarlet said.

“Don’t worry about it. I was just doing my job. Besides, I would have done it even if I wasn’t paid to.”

“Mister Golden,” Cloud Sweeper said, “when I grow up, I want to be just like you.”

“Just try to do the right thing, kid.”

“I will and one day I will join the Royal Guard.” There was a sudden small light emitting from his neck. “My cutie mark! I got my cutie mark!”

“Looks like I’ll be seeing you in a couple years,” I said with a smile.

“Thank you for everything,” Scarlet said. “If you’re ever near my bakery, Sweet Spot, do not hesitate to come in. Come along, Cloud. Let’s show daddy your cutie mark.”

The two of them started to leave, but then Cloud turned around and looked at me. He then took off his backpack and opened it. Cloud pulled out a toy robot and handed it to me. I smiled as he ran back to his mom.

Octavia and I talked until she had to leave. Signed set up a concert for her to perform a few days after we returned from our honeymoon. Of course, we had to reschedule everything and her concert just so happened to be the day before our new wedding day. To both of our misfortune, I couldn’t attend. The Doctor wanted to keep me close by because the effects of alicorn magic on coma patients is unknown and he wants me to be close by in case of an emergency. Octavia was nervous, as this was going to be the first concert I won’t be attending. I reminded her about the bow tie and told her that I’ll always be there when she wears it.

I would be alone in the hospital room for a while, so I decided to read. Celestia eventually poked her head into her room. She was wearing her favorite dress and then I realized it was almost time for dinner.

“Can I come in?” Celestia asked.

“Of course,” I said putting down my book.

“Are you coming to dinner tonight?”

“I don’t think so. This is probably going to be my last night alone for a long time. I want it to be a little peaceful.”

“I almost can’t believe you’re getting married tomorrow,” Celestia said as she took a seat next to me. “It feels like yesterday I found you in the Everfree Forest. You know, I was afraid I failed as a mother when I saw you in a coma.”

“No matter what happens to me, you are a great mother.” Celestia smiled at with the same smile that made me feel secure. Unfortunately, there was something I had to talk to her about.   “But, you know I’m not like you. I’m not going to live forever and I’m going to die one day.”

“I know. When your time does come, I think I’ll be ready. For now, let’s just try to concentrate on the now and enjoy what time we have together.”

“Agreed,” I said with a smile. “So, I’m finally getting married tomorrow.”

“I can’t believe it either. You know, you’ll always be that little colt I found.

“Can I ask you something? And I need you to be completely honest.”

“You know you can ask me anything.”

“How do you feel about Octavia? I mean about us being together.”

“When you first started dating,” She said after thinking it over, “I didn’t approve. I don’t mean just Octavia, I mean in general. I didn’t think that any mare was good enough for you and something was telling me they wanted to be with you not just because they liked you. Octavia, however, was different. She never cared about your title or your money. The only thing she cared about was you. I think you made one of the best decisions any pony has ever made.”

“Thanks mom,” I said with a smile.

We talked for a little longer before she had to go to the dinner. I was alone again, so I went back to reading. It was more or less what I wanted. The only sound came from a nurse walking down the hallway and I was only interrupted once when a nurse asked me what I wanted for dinner. As the night wore on and I started to feel tired, I told a nurse where I am going to sleep. I also told her to point Octavia in my direction when she returns.

For once, I was the one who was wait up for Octavia. When she did come back, she couldn’t wait to tell me about her concert. She was the most nervous she has ever been before a concert. Her nervousness isn’t anything new. While she does usually pass herself off as confident when she goes on stage, she is a nervous wreck off stage. Vinyl or I usually have to calm her down before she goes onto stage. I obviously couldn’t make it and Vinyl’s coltfriend had to pay a good amount to just get reservations at a new, five star restaurant. For the first time, Octavia was alone at a concert. She was on the verge of canceling it, but then she realized she wasn’t alone. I was with her in spirit, but she was also carrying our child. When she did start playing, she played her heart out. The reviews weren’t going to be released until tomorrow, but Octavia was sure they were going to be positive. We went to bed shortly after she finished her story. It didn’t hit me until right before I fell asleep, but I realized that it was the last night we were going to bed as fiancés.

I woke by myself. Octavia had left a note saying that she was going to another part of the castle so I wouldn’t see her in her dress. There was also a new suit hanging on my door, which I put on after a shower. Shortly after I got dressed, my groomsstallions came in with a beer in their hands and one for me.

“Last minute bachelor party,” Shining said as he handed me a beer.

“Sorry it couldn’t be more,” Soarin said.

“Besides,” Nightingale said, “I’m sure Octavia would kill one of us if it was more.”

“So long as you guys are here, I’m happy,” I said. The four of us opened our beers and took our first drink. “So, Shining, what’s married life like?”

“A lot like being engaged, but a lot less planning. So long as you love each other, you should be fine.”

“Well I don’t think I’ll ever get married,” Soarin said. “I could never deny the ladies this beautiful body.”

“Have you ever even had a marefriend?” Nightingale asked.

“A toast to Golden,” Soarin said. “He’s one of the greatest guys I have ever known and I wish him all the luck in the world with his beautiful wife.”

“To one of the best friends a guy can ask for,” Shining said. “Golden, you deserve nothing less than a happy life and a happy family with the mare of your dreams.”

“To the best little brother in Equestria,” Nightingale said. “When we first met, you kicked my ass and probably could have killed me, but you didn’t. Since then, we have been an unstoppable team and I can’t wait to see you as happy as you’ll ever be.”

The four of us clinked our bottles and drank to my wedding. We talked until our bottles were empty. Soarin offered to get more, but then somepony knocked on the door.

“Are you decent?” Rarity asked from the other side of the door.

“We’re dressed, Rarity.” She came into the room and immediately hugged me. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m part of Twilight’s plus six,” she said as she let go.

“Twilight got a plus one.”

“You can make an exception for Twilight, can’t you darling? Plus, the bride’s veil was torn and I was asked to fix it.”

“I’m just happy you girls and Spike are here.”

“Oh, and before I forget, Twilight wants to see you Shining, and Spitfire wants to see you Soarin.”

“What did I do this time?” Soarin asked as he and Shining left the room.

“I should probably go mingle with the guests,” I said. “Before I go, Night this is a good friend of mine, Rarity. Rarity, this is my brother-”

“Nightingale,” he interrupted. “My name is Nightingale.”

“I’ll let you to get acquainted.”

I left the two of them to their own devices. I walked into the main hall and saw almost everypony I have ever met is in this room. My friends were of course here, Vinyl and her coltfriend, Spitfire, Twilight and her friends, Flash, Star, The Twins, Lavender, my grandparents,  Fancy Pants, Fleur, Foxtrot, even Coco was able to make it. Then there was Octavia’s big family. I even got to meet Octavia’s cousin, Fiddlesticks, who looks almost exactly like her. Then there were members of the royal guard. While every guard would love to be here, but there needs to be some pony on guard.

Soon after, ponies started taking their seats and I stood at the end of the aisle. Cadence, my best mare, stood next to me and hugged me.

“I’m so happy for the two of you,” She whispered to me.

“I just wish I could have been there for your wedding.”

“You were there in spirit.”

Celestia eventually joined me, smiling. Then the wedding march started to play. Everypony stood up and Octavia, dressed in a beautiful wedding dress, appeared at the end of the hall with her father on her arm. When they reached the end of aisle, Mr. Symphony smiled at me and gave me a pat on the back. I took Octavia’s hands and she smiled back at me.

“Ladies and gentlecolts,” Celestia said, “we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Prince Golden Shield and Octavia Melody. Their love has withstood the test of time and will only grow stronger the longer they are together. The couple has written their own vows, which they would now like to give.”

“Golden,” Octavia said, “From the moment I met you I knew there was something special about you. About us. While I didn’t understand it at the time, as I was only six, but when I did understand my feelings, I knew that I loved you. Now that I look at you, I don’t just see the stallion I fell in love with. I see a house, I see children, more importantly, I see us and nothing makes me happier. Golden, I promise to always be with you and never stop loving you. No matter what happens, I will always be there for you.”

“Octavia,” I said, “I always used to wonder what my life would be like if just one thing went differently. Since we started dating I have wondered about how my life would have been different less and started thinking about our lives together more. You have become the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing when I go to sleep. When I’m having a bad day, you are the one pony that can always cheer me up. I promise to never stop thinking about you that way. I promise to always be with you, regardless of what happens to us. Most importantly, I promise to never stop loving you.”

“Octavia Melody,” Princess Celestia, “do you take Prince Golden Shield to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” she said with the biggest smile I have ever seen.

“Prince Golden Shield, do you take Octavia Melody to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” I said.

“May we have the rings please?”

Spike came forward with the rings. Octavia and I each took a ring from him. I went first, taking Octavia’s left hand and put a ring on her finger. She then took my hand and put a ring on my finger.

“If there is anypony who objects to this union, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I think I saw the blue devil stand up. My first question is how he even got in here. After what he did to Octavia, there was no way that he would be allowed in here. He must have snuck in sometime before the ceremony. Then my mind started to wonder to what he might say. Something about how Octavia was the love of his life and he would probably offer me some sum of money, which he doesn’t have, to buy Octavia’s love from me. I knew everything was going to be fine when I looked at Octavia. Without moving her head, she was able to give Blueblood the deadliest look she has ever given anypony ever. I like to think a pain shot throughout his entire body.

“Then I now pronounce you mare and colt. You may kiss the bride.”

I held Octavia close to me and kissed her. The guests applauded and we broke our kiss. We then walked down the aisle as guests applauded and threw rice in front of us. They followed us into the next room for the reception.

The reception was amazing. It started off with just a small meal and a few toasts. First was Celestia, who talked about how she was gaining a daughter. Octavia’s parents were next and they spent their time welcoming me into their family. Cadence spent her time talking about mine and her time growing up and Vinyl did the same for Octavia.

The reception then moved into the castle gardens. It wasn’t anything too big, at least not at first. There was some soft music and talking. Ponies started to dance as Concerto and his quartet started playing. Octavia and I were first, making it our first dance as a married couple. Ponies started to join us. I was in a trance while I was dancing with Octavia. To me, it felt like the rest of the world faded away and we could just stay like this forever. Octavia’s father broke me out of the trance when he asked if he could dance with his daughter. I gladly stepped aside and watched as Octavia danced with her dad from the side of the dance floor. Celestia eventually approached me and hugged me

“It was a beautiful ceremony,” She said as we let go.

“Thank you for marrying us.”

“Anything for you, you know that. I am going to miss you though.”

“What are you talking about? I’m going to be at the castle every day and you are going to be a big part of your grandkids’ lives.”

“Yes, but you belong to her now. I’m no longer the main mare in your life, but I’m okay with that. She’s a wonderful mare and she’s going to be an even greater wife and mother.”

“Before I’m officially hers, may I have this dance,” I said with a smile and putting out my hand. Celestia smiled back and took my hand.

As the reception went on, some of the older guests went back to their rooms in the castle. Vinyl took it upon herself to, and I’m using her words here, “make things more interesting”. She rolled out her mobile DJ station and started to play her music. Octavia didn’t mind, as she got what she wanted today, and I wanted to see everypony happy. Ponies started dancing almost immediately. Lucky for her, Octavia’s dress was made so she could move freely, meaning we wouldn’t miss out on the fun. Her pregnancy, however, made her feel tired, so we didn’t stay on the dance floor long. Instead, we sat next to Vinyl’s coltfriend and got to know him.

His name is Bright Night. He’s an earth pony with a pale yellow coat and back mane. He’s a bit taller than me and very skinny. Just from the small conversation, we could tell he was smart, witty, funny, and everything else Vinyl loved.

“So, what attracts you to my Vinyl?” Octavia asked.

“What do you mean ‘my Vinyl’?” He responded.

“Octavia and Vinyl are best friends forever.” I said. “Just go with it, trust me.”

“Well, just look at her. She’s just so full of confidence and energy. She makes ponies smile just by being herself. More than that, she likes to speak her mind. There aren’t a lot of mares out there that have this fear of speaking out of line, or coming off as non-feminine. That isn’t a problem for her, and that’s the thing I find most attractive about her.”

“As long as you make her happy,” Octavia said, “you’re fine with me. But if you even think about hurting her, I will skin you alive.”

“Okay, that’s probably just the pregnancy hormones acting up,” he said.

“They’re not. Vinyl means that much to her, to the both of us. You hurt her, and finding a new marefriend will be the least of your worries.”

“Have you two thought of baby names?” He asked with a twinge of fear in his voice.

“Excuse me, sweetie,” Mr. Symphony said from behind. Octavia and I turned to face him and Mrs. Strings. “We need to get going.”

“Thank you for having us,” Mrs. Strings said. “It was a beautiful ceremony and we are thrilled to see our little girl this happy.”

“Before we go,” Mr. Symphony said, “we wanted to give you your wedding present.” Mr. Symphony pulled out an envelope and handed it to Octavia.

“What is this?” Octavia asked as she opened the envelope and pulled out a paper inside.

“It’s the deed to a new house,” Mrs. Strings. “If you are going start a family, you can’t do it in that small apartment. And don’t worry, there’s enough room for Vinyl and Spitfire.”

“Thank you so much,” Octavia said. She stood up to hug her parents and I joined her soon after. We then walked them to the castle’s entrance and promised to have dinner with them when we got back from our honeymoon.

“Excuse me,” A stallion in a suit said as he approached us. “Hi, I represent the Trotney Company. On behalf of the Trotney Company, I would like thank you for your performances and congratulate you on your nuptials. I have also the pleasure to give your wedding gift. The Trotney Company would like to give you an all-expenses paid trip to Applewood and give you and your husband lifetime passes to our theme park.”

“Thank you very much,” I said. “Would you like to come in for our reception?”

“I have to say no. Again, congratulations.” The colt in the suit walked away and the two of us walked back into the castle gardens.

The reception lasted a few more hours before we had to end it, but there was one more thing we had to do. Octavia stood with her back to a few mares and threw the bouquet behind her. It somehow ended up with Twilight, which made her blush and throw it in another direction. I then picked up Octavia and kissed her one more time for our guests.

I carried her to the honeymoon suite in a secluded part of the castle. I gave her another kiss as I opened the door and carried her over the banister.

“Mrs. Golden Shield,” I said.

“Mr. Octavia Melody,” she said with another smile.

Octavia pulled me into another kiss and I was happy.
> Chapter 32: Pregnancy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Golden…” Octavia said, waking up.

“I’m right here, sweetie.” I held her hand and smiled at her. “You did it.”

“Are they okay?” She asked. There was a big smile on her face, which made me smile in return.

“They’re perfect,” I said. “They came out with no complications and they’re in the nursery sleeping like angels.”

“Can I see them? Please?” She looked at me with her bright eyes, there was no way I could tell her no.

“Of course, Octy,” I said as I stood up. “I’ll get them myself.”

“Thank you Golden. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I walked out of her room and started to make my way towards the nursery. Octavia and I were parents after nine long months. Sometimes it felt like she was never going to give birth and other times we fought, but we followed the one rule her parents told us: never go to bed angry. I started to think about when we first learned that Octavia was pregnant with twins.

We left for Applewood the morning after our wedding. Octavia was suffering still suffering from morning sickness, but something was a little off, according to the pregnancy books she had read, her morning sickness should not have been this bad. Octavia would have killed me if we missed our honeymoon because I got her pregnant, so we boarded the train to Applewood and saw a doctor almost immediately. She confirmed what we both already knew, she was carrying twins. The rest of the week was enjoyable, despite Octavia’s pregnancy symptoms. We thought it would be best if we avoid the amusement park, but the spa day was exactly what we needed.

We returned to Canterlot Sunday night and found that our friends moved us into our new home. The house was located higher up in Canterlot and only a few blocks away from the castle. It was a large two-story house. Downstairs consisted of a living room, kitchen, dining room, conservatory, half a bathroom, a bedroom, and a study. The conservatory was always Octavia’s favorite room. During the day, she would sit in there and fill the house with her music and just watch the city at night. Upstairs had two bedrooms along with a master bedroom and two more bathrooms. According to Bright Night, Spitfire had tried to claim the master bedroom for herself, but Bright Night was able to talk her out of it.

“Welcome home,” Bright Night said as we walked through the door. “We moved all of your stuff into the master bedroom on the right. Golden, we set up a little work area for you in the study and Octavia’s cello is in the conservatory.”

“Bright Night,” I said, “what are you doing here?”

“I’m just waiting for Vinyl. We’re going to grab some pizza and probably catch a movie. Also, I live here.”

“Vinyl!” Octavia shouted. “We need to talk!” The two of us walked upstairs and found Vinyl in her room, making her mane look messy, but no too messy.

“What’s up?” She said as we walked in. “What did you get me from Applewood?”

“Why does Bright Night think he lives here?” I asked.

“Because he does. His rent went up and he said he couldn’t pay it. I told him that he could stay here for as long as he needs.”

“Okay,” Octavia said, “I’m glad you’re trying to do something good, but don’t you think you two are moving too fast. You’ve only known each other for a few weeks and you’re already living together?”

“Actually,” Vinyl said with a blush, “we’ve known each other for about three months now.”

“What?” Octavia said.

“In fairness, I never said when we actually met. I thought you guys were going to make fun of me for going out with a teacher. If I didn’t accidently spill the beans when Golden was in the hospital, then you probably would have never found out.”

“Wait, there were still colts coming out of your room three months ago,” I said.

“Those were just friends. They were just helping me do some remixes. All those sex sound you heard were just to mess with you.”

“One of them stole my cologne.”

“Priorities, Golden,” Octavia said.

“It was a 350 bit bottle and a gift from Chef Celery Stalk.”

“We’ll get you another bottle later, just focus on this. Vinyl, you shouldn’t feel like you have to hide anything from us. We’re like sisters Vinyl, you know that. Of course he can stay as long as he wants.”

“Thanks, Tavi,” Vinyl said as they hugged.

Bright Night is still living with us. He’s been a great help with the cooking, cleaning, keeping Vinyl in line, and helping Octavia whenever he can. His cooking was some of the best. He was especially helpful when Octavia was having weird cravings.

“Okay,” Bright Night said as he brought five plates into the dining room, “tonight we have fettuccine pasta with alfredo sauce with spinach and sun dried tomatoes.”

“It smells delicious, Love,” Vinyl said.

“And for Octavia, Macaroni with chocolate sauce and crushed potato chips.”

“Thank you very much, Night.”

“That is the biggest bowl of disgusting I have ever seen,” Vinyl said. “How the hell did you make that without barfing, Night?”

“Look, when you’re eating for three, you can eat whatever you like.”

“Speaking of which,” Spitfire said. “You are getting big, Octavia. How far along are you?”

“About twenty weeks. Let me tell you, this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. The swelling, the aces, cramp, and heartburn.” Octavia was talking while breathing heavy. It made me worry, but then I remembered a book saying that shortness of breath was normal.

“Are you alright?” Spitfire asked.

“I’m fine, just a little short of breath. Not only that, but they’re going crazy in here.” I put my hand over Octavia’s stomach. The twins were kicking like crazing, which made me smile.

“Let me feel!” Vinyl said.

“Night,” Octavia said. “I don’t think you’ve ever felt the twins kick. Come over here.”

“I’m fine. Thank you though.”

“I’m not asking,” Octavia said.

“Seriously, I’m fine,” Night said.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Vinyl asked. “Are you afraid that they’re going to pop out the second you touch them.”

“No, I just think it’s a little weird. None of you feel like it’s a little that you’re basically feeling half-formed ponies kick?”

“Let me get this straight,” Spitfire said, “you find it weird to touch a pregnant mare’s stomach, but making macaroni with chocolate sauce and crushed potato chips is fine?”

“I’m not the one eating it.”

“Just come over here and feel my children kick. You may cook the things I like, but hell hath no fury like a pregnant woman scorn.”

Night made his way over to Octavia, shaking the entire time. I started to wonder what was going through his mind as his hand came closer to Octavia’s stomach. For a moment, I actually think he believed that Octavia would go into labor the second he touched her. His hand lightly touched her at first, but then Octavia grabbed his wrist and forced his palm. He slowly started to smile as he felt the twins kick.

“I’m holding these foals when they come out,” Night said. We all laughed and began to eat our dinner.

While everything seemed like a breeze, it wasn’t. There were plenty of times where the pregnancy got the best of Octavia. Each week she complained about aches and pains in every part of her body. Her sickness may have faded as weeks went on, but they hit hard when they did hit. Octavia also couldn’t perform in front of a large audience. Because Octavia was paid by show, she wasn’t bringing any money for the bills and baby supplies. This meant I had to pull some late nights, also meaning I had to spend more time away from Octavia. Nightingale and Shining helped when they could, but they weren’t the best at meeting diplomats.

The hardest part of it all was her mood swings. Normally, Octavia is passionate and emotional. When she doesn’t just feel things, she wears her emotions. Now try to imagine that mixed with pregnancy hormones. Any small comment can set her off. When somepony at a supermarket called her “as big as a house”, Octavia yelled at him for calling her fat, cried for about fifteen minutes for yelling a stranger, and felt happy that he said her children were healthy.

We had fights before, but there was one that was awful and I wish we never had.

“Golden,” Octavia said as we sat in the study, “raising a child is expensive, but we’re raising two children. How are we ever going to get the money for this?”

“We’ll be fine, Octy. We always are.”

“That’s not an answer, Golden. I’ve been going over a few things and I don’t think we’ll have enough money. Even with the extra work you have been doing at the castle, it would take me five shows for us to come out with our heads above water.”

“You like performing, sweetie”

“Yes, but you know how much goes into a show. I can’t put on a concert and be a mother at the same time. Not only that, but we’re going to live on a strict budget for a while. I can’t do five shows in five days.”

“Stop worrying about it. We’re going to be fine, and you’re going to be a fantastic mother and you’re still going to play all the concerts you want.”

“How? How is anything you just said possible?”

“We’re not the only ones bringing income to this house. Vinyl and Spitfire could pay the bills for a while and I’m sure Night would be willing to help out. And if we’re really desperate, I’m sure our parents could help us.”

“Oh no,” Octavia said, “we are not asking our parents for help. We made it this far without them, we can do it without them.”

“Why can’t we ask our parents for help? You know just as much as I do they want to be a part of not only our lives, but in our children’s lives.”

“It’s embarrassing. You don’t see Vinyl going to ask her parents for help.”

“That’s because Vinyl’s parents kicked her out the day after we graduated. They probably haven’t spoken since them.”

“And if she can do it, then we can do it.”

“Well maybe I care about family more than you do.” I realized what I said when I said it. “Octavia, I-”

“Just don’t,” she said as she stood up.  She left the room, leaving me to really start hating myself.

When Octavia was angry with someone, she would let them know. She would zone in on what a pony did wrong and she has them wrapped around her finger by the end of it. If the pony was someone close to her, however, she wouldn’t yell at them. She would just let us stew in our own thoughts and feelings. For the first time ever, I was feeling the sting. The thing is, I’m not like the rest of my friends. Usually, they would be mad at Octavia, take some time to calm down, and then apologize to her. She would apologize too for some reason that she did wrong. I, however, felt immediate regret. As part of her routine, she won’t talk to me for about ten minutes.

“Vinyl!” I shouted

“What’s up?” She asked coming into the room with a beer in hand. “I was just about to come in here for our monthly.”

“I need you to slap me,” I said as she approached the desk. Vinyl put the beer down and slapped me as hard as she could.

“Why did I just slap you?” She asked taking a seat and opening the beer.

“Because I said something stupid to Octy.”

“So, she’s giving you the silent treatment and letting you think about what you did. Remember when I scratched my back with her bow?”

“She didn’t talk to you for ten days, and even after that she gave you a stink eye for another week.”

“Yeah…” Vinyl said drinking half of the beer.

“Slow down,” I said. “Something on your mind?”

“Yeah…” she said looking at the beer. “Golden, I really need help with something.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked. This was a rare moment for me. Vinyl rarely asks for help. Even if she does, she never asks me.

“Well, I got a letter from somepony yesterday. The pony who sent it said he was my brother.”

“You have a brother?” I asked.

“That’s what I thought too. I went to my parents’ house to ask them and they said that I do. They had him when they were eighteen and gave him to an orphanage because they thought they weren’t ready for a kid. Anyway, he’s moving to Canterlot tomorrow and he wants to meet me.”

“How did he even find you?”

“He was in the club one night and saw me preform. He was looking for somepony to do the music for a movie he’s working on. After doing some research, he realized that we have the same parents.”

“That’s amazing Vinyl. Are you going to go meet him?”

“That’s the thing,” she said after taking a drink, “I want to meet him, but this is a life changing moment for me. You know me, I’m not always the best at dealing with stuff like this. Can you come with me? Just to make sure I don’t chicken out at the last minute.”

“Why me?” I asked with some confusion. “Wouldn’t you want to Octy or Bright to go with you instead? I’m sure they’re way better at this kind of stuff than I am.”

“But they haven’t been through what you have. You’re the only pony I know that’s had this exact bombshell. If I start freaking out, then I need you to talk me down because you’ve been through this yourself.”

“On one condition,” I said while taking the beer and finishing it. “Go get us another beer.”

“I love you man,” Vinyl said with a chuckle. “And one more thing: Please don’t tell anypony about this. Bright and Tavi would want to come with and I don’t want them to meet him if he turns out to be a dick.”

“This better be a damn good beer.”

Vinyl and I finished off a second beer like we always do. It helped me keep my mind off of what I said to Octavia, but it was still in the back of my head. I was partly expecting her to come back into the room and talk about what happened, but I knew that I had to go and talk to her myself. I went up to our room a little bit after finishing the beer. She was in the bed, probably upset with me.

“Octy?” I said stepping into the room.

“Just get out Golden,” she said without looking at me.

“Please Octavia,” I said getting down on my knees so I could be eye level with her. “I didn’t mean that.”

“Then why did you say it?”

“Because I wanted to end the fight as soon as possible. I hate fighting with you and I’m always desperate to end our fights as soon as possible. I know you care about family. Octavia, you were concerned about the kids we had in my dream. We have dinner with your parents every other week and dinner at the castle the weeks we don’t. You’ve been reading book after book about parenting where I haven’t even opened one. You’re the one pony I know that loves family as much as her practice.”

Octavia started to smile, but I knew it wasn’t enough. I’ve been planning something for her birthday, but now seems like it would be the perfect time. I stood up and began to set up. I took the chair Octavia uses at her vanity and took her cello. I drew out the bow and held it out as she always does. I started playing Toccata And Figure In D Minor. It was sloppy in places and not even close to perfect, but it didn’t matter to her. She applauded while I put back her cello.

“Where did you learn to do that?” She asked with a smile on her face.

“Concerto has been giving me secret lessons. I was saving that for your birthday, but I felt like you really needed it.”

“Well I was saving this for your birthday.”

Something they don’t teach you about health class, pregnant mares have a crazy libido.

Vinyl and I went to the train station the next morning. I told Octavia that I had to help Nightingale with picking new recruits, but she probably won’t remember why I was gone. Yet another thing that sucks about pregnancy is the short term memory loss, also known as pregnancy brain.

Vinyl was nervous the entire time. She wanted to turn back at least five times, but I was able to convince her to stay. I know she doesn’t want it, but I would prefer that her parents were here too. Maybe they just didn’t want to see Vinyl, but at least she was going to have a family member that cares for her.

“What if I’m not wearing the right thing?” Vinyl asked as we waited at the train station. “I only get one shot to impress him and I’m probably wearing the wrong thing. I should go home and change.”

“Relax Vinyl. He’s not going to care about what you’re wearing. He just wants to see you and he probably already loves you like a sister.”

“But what if I screw things up within five minutes?”

“Nightingale knocked me out within seconds of meeting me and then continued to beat each other senseless. I think you’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Vinyl said after taking a deep breath. “Thanks Golden.”

The train pulled into the station and we started watching the ponies walking off the train. I wasn’t really sure what we were looking for. Vinyl’s brother never gave us a description or a picture or anything. It turns out he didn’t need to give us a description. He looked a lot like Vinyl, only taller and with red mane.

“Holy crap, it’s you as a stallion,” I said when I saw him.

“What are you…Holy crap it’s me as a stallion,”

Vinyl’s brother saw us and he looked as shocked as Vinyl was. He waved and started walking towards us. I looked over at Vinyl and she looked terrified. I put my hand on her shoulder and told her that everything was going to be alright.

“Vinyl Scratch?” He asked

“Yeah…” Vinyl said.

“I don’t normally don’t do this,” Vinyl’s brother said, “but I think I owe you this.” Vinyl’s brother suddenly grabbed her, picked her up, and gave her a big hug.

“Put me down!” Vinyl shouted as she struggled to get free. “I haven’t even known you for five minutes and you’re already annoying me.”

I couldn’t help but to laugh as Vinyl’s brother hugged her. Already I could tell that he loved her very much and he was going to be a great brother. It was the same look Nightingale had after Twilight rescued Celestia. Granted, I didn’t know he was my brother at the time, but I still got the feeling that he was a great guy.

“Who’s this?” Vinyl’s brother asked after putting her down.

“Golden Shield,” I said sticking out my hand for a handshake. “I’m one of Vinyl’s close friends.”

“Long Play,” he said shaking my hand. “I’m sure Vinyl told you about me.”

“Why don’t we go get something to eat and catch up?”

“Sounds good to me,” Long Play said with a smile.

As we walked to a small diner near the center of town, Long told us his story. He lived in the orphanage until he was five and was adopted by couple with three foals already. He ran away after about a month, but was caught and taken back to the orphanage. Something like this went on until he was ten. He found another family and was planning to run away after a month, but the father said something that made him want to stay. He told Long that he could leave if he wanted, but the father just wanted Long to be happy and would have done anything for him. Long finally found a home and even started calling them his parents.

“So, what about you?” Long asked Vinyl as he finished his story. “What was mom and dad’s favorite child doing all this time?”

“Nothing real special,” Vinyl said. “I’ve just been growing up with this loser, but I really need to talk to you about something.”

“Is everything all right?” Long asked.

“Yeah, well no, but yeah. Listen, I’m not what you call ‘emotionally stable’. I cry at the thought of my best friend moving away, I get angry at people for the stupidest things, I go into work thinking I’m going to quit because I’m tired of stallions undressing me with their eyes, but I come out loving my job and everyone in the club, I stopped talking to mom and dad because they kicked me out, I was so terrified to meet you that Golden had to talk me into it like 100 times. I’m constantly afraid that I’m going to screw up my relationship with my coltfriend, I don’t-”

“You’re giving me a lot to process here,” Long interrupted.

“Sorry, I just wanted to make sure that you knew I was far from perfect and give you a chance to run away before it’s too late.”

“Vinyl, no one is really emotionally stable. I can’t tell you how many mares I dumped because I thought they were cheating on me. My best friend in Manehatten and I partied hard last night and I had like ten cups of coffee to kill my hangover. I have absolutely zero interest in talking to mom and dad. I didn’t come here thinking you were perfect and I was hoping you thought I was perfect. I’m actually really glad that you opened up to me because it means that you’re already accepting me as a brother.”

“Thanks Long,” Vinyl said with a smile. “I’ll be honest, I was so excited when I got your letter because it meant that someone in our family didn’t hate me.”

“I don’t know if you ever felt alone as I did. Maybe you feel even more alone because I still talk to the ponies that raised me. Either way, neither of us have to be alone again.” Vinyl and Long smiled at each other and I knew they were going to be best friends. “Is it too early to say I love you?”

“Buy me dinner first then we’ll talk.”

Vinyl couldn’t wait to take Long Play home to meet Octavia. At first they didn’t get along. Long was more abrasive than Vinyl and with Octavia’s mood swings, you can only imagine the fights they had. It got to the point where Octavia didn’t even want to be in the same room as him. Everything changed when Octavia’s water broke.

“So I was thinking about changing the color of the children’s room,” Octavia said as we sat in the conservatory. She had just finished playing her cello as it was the only thing that calmed her down after fighting with Long. I was working on some paperwork I had to take home.

“Again?” I asked. “We’ve already changed it twice.”

“I know, but I just had this idea that…Golden…”

“Yeah,” I asked looking up from my work.

“I think my water just broke.”

“Are you serious?” Octavia nodded her head as a response. “Okay, just stay calm.” I whistled for Philomena to bring me a piece of paper. She came as fast as she could and I wrote as fast as I could. I sent her off to the hospital to get somepony to help us to the hospital.

“Is it really happening?” Spitfire asked from the living room.

“This is not a drill,” I shouted back. Just like that, everypony in the house came running into the room.

“Octavia,” Long said as he kneeled down next to Octavia, “I need to-”

“No!” Octavia interrupted. “I don’t want you anywhere near my children.”

“I just need to-”

“I said no. Get away from me or else I swear I will kick your teeth out.”

“Octavia, for the sake of your children, calm down. We need to put everything behind so these two come out healthy.” Octavia only nodded her head in response. “Okay, I just need to find their heart beats.” Long’s hand and horn started to glow. He was using a spell that I read about when I was living in the castle. It basically turns a hand into a stethoscope, but it shines bright to discourage robbers from using the spell.

“How do you know what to do?” Vinyl asked.

“My parents had their first biological kid when I was fifteen and I helped my mom until she got to the hospital. Okay, I got two heart beats and they sound fine.”

Long did everything he needed to until the paramedics came. They were two pegasi carrying a stretcher and they helped Octavia onto it. Spitfire flew with Octavia and the paramedics while the rest of us made our way to the hospital as fast as we could.

By the time we got there, Octavia was waiting in a room and a nurse was preparing her for the birth. The events that followed were…graphic to say the least. It’s not something I would ever vaguely describe, but there was this beautiful moment. The room was filled with the crying of two babies. The nurses wrapped the newborns in small blankets and handed one to me and one to Octavia. They looked almost exactly like they did in my dream, maybe slightly off on the shade, but that didn’t matter to me. In my hands was my daughter and in my wife’s hands was my son. I wasn’t just Captain of the Royal Guard or Prince of Equestria. I was a father and this was my family.

The nurses took our children to the nursery and Octavia fell asleep shortly after. It was hard for me to fall asleep because I was still in a state of disbelief, not to mention I had to sleep in a chair. I was able to wake up before her and I watched her sleep. She asked to see her children when she woke and I was glad to get them.

The walk to the nursery took me through the lobby. Waiting for me with the biggest smile on her face was Cadence. The second she saw me, she ran to me and have me a tight hug. Cadence had been away for the past several months. She was in Saddle Arabia helping them with their failing economy. With her help, the Saddle Arabian Empire was able to avoid a depression, but she missed out on Octavia’s pregnancy, something that she was excited to help with.

“It’s extra tight because I don’t want to smother your kid,” she said as she let go.

“Thanks Cadence.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there, but I was sending positive vibes,” she said as she let go.

“Octavia knows. All the time she said that she felt like somepony was helping her through the craziness of pregnancy.”

“I wish I was there for all of it. I know Vinyl’s the godmother, but can we please be co-godmother or something. Please Golden. I really want to be a major part of your kid’s life.”

“Actually, remember that surprise I told you about in the letters?”

“Yeah…” Cadence said not really sure what was coming next.

“Octavia had twins.”

“Shut up!” She said as she hit my arm.

“Vinyl wanted to be our son’s godmother, so will you be our daughter’s godmother?”

“Yes!” Cadence said before I could finish my sentence. “Can I please see them?”

“I was on my way to get them for Octavia.”

The two of us walked to the nursery. We traded stories about what happened while she was away. A good majority of it was work for Cadence. When she wasn’t working, however, she got to enjoy the culture. She was treated more like a princess on a leisure trip rather than a government official.

When we reached the nursery, we found Celestia already in there cradling her granddaughter. She was smiling. As always, she had this radiance about her that even made the children smile.

“They’re beautiful,” Celestia said without taking her gaze off of her granddaughter.

“You probably don’t want to put her down, but Octavia wants to see her children.”

“Alright, but this will be the only time I won’t have one of my grandkids in my arms.” Celestia put the baby back into the crib while still smiling at it. My daughter was still smiling at her and I think she laughed. “Cadence, can you please take the babies to the mother. I need to talk to Golden.”

“Of course, Auntie Celestia.” Cadence took the two rolling cribs out of the room. She too was smiling at them and they were smiling back.

“I’m so happy for you,” Celestia said as she hugged me.

“Thanks mom,” I said hugging back. We stayed like this for a little while. I haven’t even seen Celestia in months. I’ve been way too busy with what paperwork I could get done in the short time I was in the castle and the rest of my time was spent taking care of Octavia. It was nice to know that she understood why I couldn’t see her.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you something,” she said when we let go. “For years, you’ve thanked me for finding you. You’ve told me a thousand times that I changed your life, but I’ve never told you how you changed mine.

“Before I met you, I wasn’t really sure what I was doing. I guess I was just going about my day, occasionally thinking about what I did to Luna. I felt as if I was just drifting through the day. Then the day came where I felt like something was missing. The next day, I found you. I couldn’t figure out why, but when I was with you, I felt complete. For the first time in a very long time, I was truly happy. Every moment I was with you, I was happy and there was nothing anypony could have done to change that. Not only that, but you made me so proud every moment and filled me with joy to watch you succeed. Thank you, Golden, for changing my life.”

“I love you mom,” I said giving her another hug.

We stayed like this for a little while before leaving for Octavia’s room. When we got there, Octavia was holding one baby and Cadence was holding the other. They were just smiling and letting the children grab their fingers.

“They’re amazing,” Octavia said.

“Have you thought about names?” Cadence asked.

“I haven’t, but I thought I would leave that up to Golden. What did I name them in your dream?”

“You named our daughter Mystery Melody and our son Ebony Shield.” Suddenly, both of the babies let out a joyful noise.

“I guess they like it,” Octavia said. “Okay, that will be their names. Welcome to the world, Mystery Melody and Ebony Shield.”
> Chapter 33: Crystal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I loved looking at this picture. It’s a picture of me and my entire family at my kids’ first birthday. There was, of course, my beautiful wife, Octavia, and our two children, Ebony Shield and Mystery Melody. Next to Octavia is our best friends, Vinyl Scratch and Spitfire. Next to me is my brother, Nightingale, and the ponies I consider siblings, Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor. Giving my kids a big hug is the mare I grew up with, Cadence. Behind us is Octavia’s parents, Soprano Sympathy and Harmonic Strings, and my mom, Princess Celestia. I thought about how amazing it was that I have a family, seeing as how I didn’t even have a mom over twenty years ago. 

“Are you still looking at that picture?” Blueblood asked. 

We were on a train to the Crystal Empire, a kingdom that recently reappeared after 1,000 years. It returned with King Sombra, an evil dictator who turned the residents into slaves. Cadence, Shining, Twilight, and her friends were able to banish Sombra and bring happiness to the empire. Cadence and Shining were named leaders and had to move there. It was sad to see both of them go, but it’s something they had to do.

“Why do you even care about that picture?” the blue baboon said. “It has to be a year old.”

“A bit over a year old,” I said.

“Let him enjoy it,” Nightingale said from the seat across us. “What are you even doing here anyway?”

“It’s called the Crystal Empire. And you don’t expect Equestria’s most beautiful gem not to grace its citizens with his presence? What about you? I’d imagine a heartless demon like you want with such a magnificent place.”

“Both of you, calm down,” I said. “Cadence asked both of us to come here as soon as we can. We won’t be staying long, so you can enjoy your vacation without us.”

“I hope so,” Blueblood said. He put on a sleep mask and earplugs, and immediately fell asleep. One of the good things about Blueblood is that he falls asleep easily and not many things can wake him up.

“Why do you think Cadence wants us to come to the Crystal Empire?” Nightingale asked.

“Maybe she just wants to show us around. From what I heard from Twilight said, the place is absolutely stunning.”

“If she was just going to give us a tour, then why did she ask us to come immediately?”

“There’s a chance that she wanted us to have the day off. We’ve been working really hard lately and we really could use a break.”

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful or inconsiderate, but she really could have chosen a better time to have us come to visit. It’s the first time my new recruits stay up for twenty-four hours.”

I smiled as I thought about the guards going through that kind of treatment. Nightingale noticed that some of his guards were sleeping on the job. Of course, being a former of the Children of the Night, Nightingale was learned how to function on four hours of sleep. To help his guards, he stated to put them through the same exercises the he went through. They weren’t as severe as he went thought, but they were still pretty rough. Part of his training was staying awake for twenty-four hours on five randomly chosen days.

It always interested me to watch the transformation of the Lunar Guard trainees. The first time, almost every guard looks like they’re going pass out. A good majority of them couldn’t even make it home and found an empty room to sleep in. By the third time, most of them were able to at least make it home. By the fifth time, every guard that stayed was able to play a hoofball game right after the twenty-four hours.

“Cadence knows we probably can’t stay long. We’ll be back in Canterlot before sunset.”

“I guess,” Nightingale said crossing his arms. “So, how’s the wife and kids?”

“They’re good. Mystery is already showing an interest in music and Ebony won’t stop talking about the time you spend with him. What about you? Are you still seeing Rarity?”

“No, we broke up. The long distance thing wasn’t working out and we wanted different things. I am, however, seeing a new mare. Her name is Star and she’s a model.”

“You’re the guys Star has been talking about?”

“How do you know Star?”

“We’ve been friends since High School. How did you guys meet?”

“She came to the last Grand Galloping Gala. We started talking and really hit it off. It’s only been a few months, but I think she’s the one.”

“You might want to be a little careful with her. There’s a stallion that cheated on her right before their wedding. She might have some commitment issues.”

“She told me. We’re not going to take things too fast and I’m willing to wait before we do anything.”

“Well I hope that you two make it.”

We talked a bit longer about what we thought was going to happen to us in the coming years. Nightingale said he hoped to marry Star, even if he has to wait a few years. He said he wanted to kids and somepony that loves him. He just wanted some happiness with a family and a secure job.

He then asked me about our parents. He wanted to know what really happened to them and where we came from. Why would somepony just leave their kids in the Everfree Forest and never try and find them? He wasn’t angry with them in any way, but he wanted to know why. I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about it myself, but I didn’t care as much as he did. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t care about our real parents.

I watched as the setting changed outside the train. It was almost eerie to watch as the lush plants slowly started to retreat as the snow of the Frozen North started to take over. Within minutes of entering the north, it became impossible to see a few yards in front of yourself. I realized why Cadence told us to bring warm clothes. I smiled a bit when I realized Blueblood didn’t bring a carry-on bag and probably had nothing warm to wear.

The train pulled into the makeshift station. Nightingale and I had the seemingly impossible task of waking up the “most beautiful gem in Equestria”. Lucky for us, Nightingale was willing to use one of his feathers to brush under his nose. It worked like a charm. We stepped off the train to meet Shining at the station. Nightingale and I hugged our “brother” while Blueblood just rolled his eyes.

“It’s good to see you guys,” Shining said as he let go.

“You too,” I said.

“Yes, yes, y-you’re all good friends.” Blueblood said while shivering. “W-where is the C-Crystal Spa?”

“The empire is about a quarter mile away,” Shining said pointing us in the right direction.

“A quarter mile?” Blueblood shouted.

“It’s not that far,” Nightingale said. “Just think warm thoughts and you’ll be fine.”

“Porter,” the pain said, “get my bags and carry to the empire.” He apparently didn’t know that his bags were teleported to his room in the Crystal Empire a few hours ago. My horn lit up and I acted as if I teleported his bags to his room. In reality, it was literally a spell that did nothing.

The walk itself wasn’t bad. It gave me and Shining time to catch up. By the sound of things, Shining has been just as busy and Nightingale or I have. Sombra was almost all-powerful, so he disbanded the Crystal Guard when he took over. According to Shining, Sombra still feared an uprising, so he made the former Crystal Guards forget their training. Shining basically had to train them from the ground up.

We reached the empire pretty quickly. I imagine it was easier for me, Shining, and Nightingale as we were trained to do things like walk a quarter mile in the snow. Blueblood, however, was shivering and out of breath after walking through the snow. Lucky for him, the crystal ponies didn’t know any better, so they helped him to his feet and I assume to the spa.

The Crystal Empire was beautiful. Every building was made out of crystal and was built to catch the sun in just the right light. Everypony looked happy and greeted everypony with a smile, and I really can’t imagine a reason why I wouldn’t smile. In the center of the city was the castle. It was a tall, beautiful structure. The entire beauty of the city was wrapped up in this one building.

As we entered the castle, I took a moment to truly appreciate it. It was almost as if they built the castle around a massive crystal. Everything, even to the smallest detail, brought out the true beauty of the castle. Unfortunately, Shining hurried us to the throne room to meet with Cadence.

“They’re here,” Shining said as we walked into the throne room. Almost immediately, Cadence jumped from her throne and ran over to me to give me a hug.

“Miss you all so much,” Cadence said as she let go of me and hugged Nightingale. “We have so much catching up to do. How’s Canterlot?”

“It’s missing its favorite princess and best guard. What about you? How’s life in the Crystal Empire.”

“It’s not as homely as Canterlot, but Shining and I are about to make a change that should help.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I’m pregnant!” Cadence said with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. “And of course, we want you to be the godfather, Golden.”

“Of course I will,” I said giving her hug.

“Not that I don’t want to catch up with you guys,” Nightingale said, “but why did you ask us to come in such a hurry?”

“Can you please bring her in,” Shining said to a guard. Within a minute, the guards brought in an older mare.

“Are these the boys?” the mare asked.

“Yes they are,” Cadence responded.

“Look how much you two have grown,” she said approaching us. “I remember when you were just little boys.”

“I’m sorry, do we know you?” Nightingale asked.

“Not if the spell worked. Let me introduce myself, my name is Timeline, and I am the historian for the Crystal Empire. I’ve been instructed to give these to you when I see you.” Timeline pulled out two identical envelopes and gave one to me and one to Nightingale. “These are from your parents.”

“Our parents!” we said in unison.

“Does that mean we’re crystal ponies?” Nightingale asked.

“No, your family was here on vacation. King Sombra took over a few days before you were to leave. We tried to evacuate ponies, but Sombra’s magic was too powerful, but he didn’t know there were non-crystal ponies in the empire. The spell he used still had some effect, but you could leave the empire unharmed. Your parents didn’t know exactly what would happen, so out of fear, they wrote you these letters, in case something were to happen.”

“I studied the spell he used,” Cadence said. “The spell would ‘remove’ anypony who didn’t match the chosen race by sending them randomly forward in time and send them to a random location. Sombra didn’t notice because the tome where he learned the spell only said the pony would not be a problem.”

“So we know why Night and I turned up in the Everfree Forest,” I said.

“But where are our parents? Why weren’t they in Everfree Forest with us?”

“The spell sends the pony to a different time and place relative to when they walked through the spell. I’m guessing you two went through it at the same time, but your parents left at a different time to not draw any attention.”

“Wait,” Nightingale said, “why don’t either of us remember any of this. Even if we’re young, I’m sure we would remember something that big.”

“I can’t be completely sure,” Timeline said, “but I would guess they erased your memory of all of this. It is extremely traumatizing for a child to go through.”

“Then why can’t we remember them,” I asked. 

“Memory spells are hard to master. It’s close to impossible to pin point exact memories and erase them. For most ponies, the only thing they can remember is their skills. I need to get back to work. You two enjoy your letters and I wish you the best of luck trying to find your parents.” Timeline left the room leaving us in science.

“Go ahead,” Cadence said. “Open the letters.”

“Do you want to?” Nightingale asked me.

“I don’t know,” I responded looking over the envelope.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Shining asked. “These are your parents. You’ve been looking for them since the princesses found you.”

“I haven’t,” Nightingale said. “The Children of the Night couldn’t really leave our hideout, so I couldn’t search for them.”

“And Celestia used every resource available to find them and nothing came up. I lost faith in finding them when we graduated from high school.”

“I think we need some time,” Nightingale said. “I think we should get going. Thank you for this.”

“Thanks for having us,” I said giving both Cadence and Shining a hug. “Keep me updated on how you’re doing and I’ll tell you how this turns out.”

The trip back to Canterlot was silent. I can’t speak for Nightingale, but I was lost in my thoughts. I held the only trace of my real parents, but part of me didn’t want to open it. Part of me didn’t care about my birth parents. They didn’t make me into the stallion I am today. There weren’t there when I had nightmares or when I was going through my first break up. They weren’t there for my graduation, wedding, or the birth of their grandchildren. As far as I’m concerned, they were just two ponies that gave me life. But that’s what made this so hard. It’s not like they purposefully leave me in the Everfree Forest. They didn’t try and avoid me or any of my major life events. I’m sure if they could, they would have been right there if they could.

“What are you thinking?” Nightingale asked me as we came close to Canterlot.

“I’m wondering if they even cared about us. If they left the empire like we did, then why didn’t they try and find us? It’s not like I stayed out of the news or anything. What about you?”

“The same, well that and my mom. I mean Luna, not this mare. She wasn’t as hands on as Celestia was, seeing as how she was on the moon, but I could feel her love. When I was young, some ponies were told by Luna to tuck me in when I went to sleep. I could hear her encourage me when I was going through training and I was ecstatic when she returned, Luna more so than Nightmare Moon.  I don’t know anymore. Maybe we would be better off not reading these. On the hand, these are our parents. They took they probably loved and cared for us.”

“I think I know why this is so hard for us. Yes, these are the ponies that gave us life. Yes, these are the ponies that loved us enough to make us forget an awful memory. But, they didn’t raise us. They weren’t there for our highs our lows. I know it wasn’t their fault, but they weren’t there for us. Luna and Celestia were. I don’t know about you, but I really couldn’t imagine any pony else raising me. The only question is what to do with these?”

“How about you take your letter and do what you want with it and I’ll do the same with mine. We don’t have to show them to each other, so in case the one we have sucks, we can imagine that the other one is better.”

“Sounds like a deal,” I said as the train pulled into the station.

“Why don’t you take the rest of the day off and spend it with your family. I can handle things at the castle.”

“Thanks Night.”

We got off the train and went our separate ways. Of course I wanted to see Octavia and the kids, but I couldn’t get my mind off of the letter. I wasn’t sure if I still wanted to open it. I’m comfortable with my life, and this piece of information could change all of that.

“Daddy!” My kids said as I opened the door. They didn’t know many words, but I was happy they at least knew “daddy” and “mommy”.

“How are my two little ponies?” I asked picking them up. They tried talking at the same, but it ended up coming out as gibberish.

“What are you doing home so early?” Octavia asked me with a smile. “Not that I’m happy to see you.”

“Night said he’ll cover the rest of my shift.”

“Well, how was the Crystal Empire? Is it as beautiful as Twilight said it is?”

“It’s stunning and we’re going there for our next anniversary, but I need to tell you something important.”

“Is everything alright?” she asked as her smile dropped.

“Everything’s fine, but it’s serious. Can we talk in private?”

“Vinyl,” Octavia yelled, “can you watch the kids for a little while?”

“Alright kids, here comes Auntie Vinyl!” I put the kids down as Vinyl rushed into the room.

Octavia and I walked into the study and I could just feel how concerned she was. We sat across from each other and I told her everything I learned today. I told her about where I really came from and showed her the envelope. I told her the deal I made with Nightingale and explained why I haven’t opened the letter yet. When I finished talking, Octavia stood up, grabbed me by the shirt, and pulled me into a kiss.

“What was that for?” I asked when we parted.

“You came forward a thousand years and ended up with me. Golden, we were destined to be together.”

“I don’t want to take away from the sentiment, and it is super romantic, but I really need some help. What should I do?”

“It’s a hard decision to make. If you really want my opinion, I say you put the letter in that desk and never look at it again. You have a family with a wife that loves you, friends that want to be around you, a brother that would do anything for you, and a mother that cares for you. You have a life that most stallions would kill for. If you open that envelope, than your mind will be stuck on the life that could have been. You will drive yourself crazy just even thinking about what the life you missed. The ponies in your life are all because of the pony you became.” 

“And I have Celestia to thank for that…” I said.

“Golden,” Vinyl said poking her head into the room, “your mom is here.”

We walked back into the living room to find my mom sitting on the couch wearing her favorite dress. 

“Mom, what are you doing here?” I asked.

“Nightingale said you wanted to talk to me about something.”

“Don’t you have to attend the dinner at the castle?”

“I always have time for you.” She said with a warm smile. “So, what did you want to tell me?”

“I wanted to thank you,” I said as I took a seat next to her.

“Golden, you’ve said thank you to me hundreds of times.”

“I really mean it though. I wouldn’t be the pony I am today if it wasn’t for you. At worst, I would be as arrogant and selfish as Blueblood, but you made sure I didn’t turn out that way. You taught me responsibility and selflessness. You cared for me when you didn’t have to. You could have left me at an orphanage, but you adopted me and became my mom. Because of you, I have a perfect role model.”

“Golden,” she said as tears started to form, “where is this coming from?”

“I found out where I came from today. Night and I are were born a thousand years ago. We were vacationing with our parents when Sombra attacked and we were sent forward in time when we tried to leave. Our parents wiped out memories before we left, so neither night nor I have any idea what they look like. They left us letters, but I haven’t opened mine. I don’t plan on opening my anytime soon because those ponies that wrote the letter didn’t raise me. I know they loved me enough to make sure I had a life, but the fact is they weren’t there for me. You were.”

“Thank you,” she said as she hugged me.

“There’s one thing that I still wonder about,” I said as we let go. “Why did you pick the name ‘Golden Shield’?”

“When we arrived at Canterlot I asked the ponies if anypony knew you. One pony asked what your name was. I looked into your eyes and I just knew that was your name.”

“I love you, mom,” I said with a wide smile.

“I love you too.”
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't know how I would feel when this day finally came. I guess it's a mixture of nervous and excited. Maybe this is how Celestia felt on my first day of school. For the first time, our kids are going to be out in the world without anypony we personally know watching them. This is their first time being with a large group of ponies their own age. After today, they're going to start making friends and wanting to hang out with them more than us. 

The four of us walked to the elementary school. It was the same school that Octavia and I went to, which brought back old memories. I remember meeting all of my friends for the first time and how much fun we had. I remembered all of us getting out cutie marks and how happy we were. I remembered going to high school and when Octavia and I made out "just friends" pact and how we broke that pact three years later. I smiled as I started to think about everything my own kids will go through.

"All right my little ponies," Octavia said as we reached the front of the school, "your father and I will be here at 3 to pick you up."

"Okay mommy," they said at the same time.

"Just have a good day and I promise you'll want to come back."

"I will daddy," Mystery said. "I love you mommy. I love you daddy." Mystery ran off and started talking to some fillies. Last year, Octavia tired to get a group of friends for both of our kids. While Mystery was somewhat popular, Ebony never really found a friend.

"Daddy," Ebony said, "I'm scared. What if the other ponies don't like me."

"Ebony, I'm going to tell you something a great pony told me: I'm afraid of a lot of things. I just tell myself I'm not afraid of anything until I start to believe it." Ebony looked up and smiled at me.

"Are you really afraid of a lot of things?"

"Of course I am, but fear is only in your head. You're a good boy, Ebony. I promise, somepony will want to be friends with you."  Ebony hugged me and ran off too.

"We did it, Golden," Octavia said as she wrapped her arm around mine. "They're out there for everypony to see. You're a great father."

"You're an even better mother."

"Golden," she said as she looked at me, "let's have another."
> Author's Note
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has almost been two years since I started writing this story. It ended up on over 1,000 shelves and has been viewed more than 5,500 times. This is unbelievable to me. I really can't even imagine 500 people, let alone 1,000. When I started writing this story, I honestly thought that maybe ten people would look at Mother Celestia and I just wouldn't finish it. It was the constant notifications I got telling me that more and more people are reading my story that kept me going. 

I didn't write this because I want you to be appreciate you mom or because I wanted an homage to my mom. To be honest, I wasn't even thinking about moms when I was coming up with this story. I wasn't thinking about Celestia or Golden or Cadence or Octavia. What I was thinking about how we define people. It then somehow became this, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

That being said, the story went through many changes. The first is the entire theme and perspective of the story. Originally, the story was going to be told from Celestia's point of view. It was going to be about her struggling between her duties as a princess and wanting to care for this colt she found. I decided to change it because I thought going from the kid's perspective and watched as he grew up would be more interesting. Golden also wasn't going to end up with Octavia. Angel was the first candidate, their story being about the struggles and temptations of a long distance relationship, but I just thought she wasn't right for her. Next was Vyxsin/Lavender. I thought the idea of a childhood friendship turning into something greater would be great. Of course, Lavender was my first option and made her Golden's first real love, but I ended up not going with her. Then there was Star. Star's story was a lot darker. In Senior Part 1, it was going to be reveled that she went to a party with Shining, where she was drugged and raped. Shining stepped in and saved her, but she had gotten pregnant. She was going to be kicked out of her house and move to Canterlot. Golden would be a surrogate father and the two would fall in love. It was also going to be reveled that Shining was the real father. I decided to not go this way because I felt like it was too dark. In the end, I'm happy the way it turned out. 

This has been an amazing two year experience and I won't forget it. Thank you for reading this story. It doesn't matter if you've been with me since the start or if you just picked it up. I am extremely grateful you took the time to read. A special thank you to everyone who has ever edited this story. You were a great help and and I really can't thank you enough. For the last time in this story, I hope you enjoyed what you just read because I enjoyed writing it.  
> Bonus Chapter: Letters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Boys,

It's been a week since you two left and I miss you both dearly. Your mother and I were captured when Sombra realized somepony walked out of the empire. Apparently, the spell is also designed to alert the caster when somepony tries to leave. Sombra threw us in the dungeon and now we wait for our punishment. Your mother doesn't know I'm writing this, but I'm sure she would just cover the page with "I love you". She really does miss you.

Don't worry about us. Sombra is keeping us in comfort for some reason. He has given us mattresses and actually giving us more than just bread and water. I would think this is just how he treats all of his prisoners, but this is the embodiment of evil and probably has something planned for us. Again, please do not worry about us. Your mother and I have been in, well better situations, but we'll get out of here and find you.

I can't wait to be a family again. I can't wait to practice magic with Golden or play hoofball with Nightingale again. I can't wait four the for of us to sit down to a dinner and listen to the two of you talk about your day. I can't wait to read a bed time story to you two and watch you fall asleep halfway through. I just can't wait to see you again.

I'll write more when I get the chance.

With much love,
Your father





Dear Boys,

It has now been about three weeks since the two of you left. I was right to worry about Sombra. Somepony learned that I am a physical trainer and your mother works in pony resources. He gave the two of us a deal that neither of us could pass up. I am to train his work enforcers/slave drivers and your mother has to try and spin his speeches to inspire his workers/slaves rather than putting fear into them. You have no idea how hard it is to spin "worker harder or I'll snap you like a twig" into something positive. In return, he will give us actual rooms and access to his kitchens and cooks whenever we want. I can't tell you much this time, but I promise we will get out of here and find you.

With much love,
Your father





Dear Boys,

I'm starting to fear for your mother. She has been "working" for Sombra for about two months now. You know, I took a psychology course in high school and I learned about Stockholm Syndrome. I always thought that it wasn't real and no pony would ever sympathize with their captor. I believe your mother is starting to show signs of Stockholm. The speeches have gotten a little more aggressive and threatening. As for me, I can't find any pleasure in my work. I wish that the slave drivers would just say "No, we don't need anything from you." 

We should still be fine. I've been coming up with an escape plan and I showed it to your mother last night. She started crying because she realized she was going to see you again. The plan isn't perfect yet and I'm still working on it. I promise we well escape as soon as possible.

With much love,
Your father





Dear Boys,

My fears have come true. I finally finished the plan, but your mother doesn't seem interest anymore. She wants to stay and help Sombra. This isn't your mother anymore. I don't even know this mare. The mare I married was kind and sweet and would never do anything to hurt a fly. She would cry at just the thought of the two of you growing up. The mare I married always put you two first.

This mare that works for Sombra is cold and cruel. She yelled at a servant because her omelet was not the right temperature. Worst of all, the two of you are at the back of her mind. I showed her the letters and told her to write one too. She tossed them aside and said she had no time for such foolish things.

I'm still going through with my plan. I changed it a bit because I fear that mare would do something to stop me. Please, don't worry about me. I promise I will make it out and I will find you.  I don't care where or when it sends me or how long it will take. I will find the both of you and we will be a family again. Even if it's just the three of us.

With much love,
Your father
> Bonus Chapter: The Prince
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Come on, Twilight,” I said as I watched Twilight Sparkle cast a spell. “You’re so close.”

“I…I…can’t…” The aura from Twilight’s hands faded. “Are you going to tell Princess Celestia I failed?” Twilight’s eyes started tearing up.

“Of course not. It’s not an easy spell to learn in the first place. All you need is a little more practice and you’ll be able to cast it without even thinking about it.”

“But, I haven’t come across a spell I couldn’t cast. Why is this one so hard?”

“Because it was developed by an alicorn and probably never thought a unicorn would ever use it. If it makes you feel any better, it took a month to get the spell down. Besides, mind reading isn’t a common spell.”

“Yeah, but you’re an alicorn. You already have the magic in you to do whatever you want. I’m just a plain old unicorn with nothing special about her.”

“You are not just a plain old unicorn, Twilight. My mom saw something special in you and so do I. You have the power to do whatever you want, you just need to channel it. Come on, let’s give it one more try.”

My name is Golden Crown. I am an alicorn and the son of Princess Celestia herself. I was born twenty years ago along with my siblings, Cadence and Blueblood. The doctor said that we were the happiest babies he has ever seen. Our mom tells us all the time that we came at an important time in her life, as our father died in the Griffon War a few months earlier. I was always told that he was noble and loyal to the end, even being a distraction so his troops could get to safety. I never met my father, but when my mom steps down and I take her place, I’ll be as great as he was.

For now, however, I’m assisting my mom in anything she needs. Today I’m taking her place in teaching her personal student while she’s meeting with ponies from Saddle Aribia, but that’s not all I do. I’m usually traveling with her, meeting other diplomats, even being the Canterlot repetitive during the summit. I am a proud member of the royal family and I cannot wait to serve my people when my time comes.

I can’t say the same thing for my brother, however. It’s almost as if he was a character in a book. Blueblood is one of the laziest, self-obsessed, lustful, man child in Equestria. Maybe it’s because I got more attention than he did growing up or because Cadence was closer to me than him or maybe because our mom has been training me to take her place since I was fifteen or because I’m an alicorn where he is just a unicorn. Whatever the reason, Blueblood almost ruins everything it means to be a prince and he loves it. He loves the fact that there are ponies will to wait on him for anything he wants. He loves the fact that he can go in public and all eyes will be on him. He loves the fact the he gets the best of the best everything.

Cadence is different. She too has been helping our mom in her duties and she could easily take over when Celestia steps down, but she decided not to. She thinks I would do a better job, though I have told her many times that she can do a better job. Cadence is sweet, kind, loving, and one of the best ponies I have ever met. We’re not just siblings, we’re best friends. I remember when we were first trying to hone our magic and she learned a spell before I did. Cadence spent hours trying to help me and didn’t leave my side until I got it right.

Speaking of which, that’s exactly what I plan to do with Twilight. We are not leaving this room until she gets it right. I tried to explain what it should feel like when the spell is successfully cast, but it didn’t seem to really help. I then told her to concentrate on me and pretend there is a door leading to my mind. I told her to try and open the door with all of her might and then she would be able to hear my thoughts. And then, I felt it. Twilight was in my head.

“I did it!” she shouted as she broke the connection.

“See, could a plain old unicorn do that? Now I want you to promise me you won’t use these powers for evil. With great power comes great responsibility.”

“I promise,” she said with a chuckle. “What does it feel like to have your mind read? I don’t think it’s ever happened to me.”

“It feels like somepony is right behind you listening to you whisper. Lucky, most ponies just chalk it up the wind or else Cadence and I would be in a lot of trouble.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve already said too much. Why don’t you go the library, pick out some books, and go home.”

“You can’t do that to me. If you don’t tell me, I’ll tell Cadence that you did told me to read her mind to find out her deep dark secret.”

“Fine,” I said with a sigh. “When we were younger, Cadence and I would read other ponies’ thoughts. We would finish their sentences, say the same thing as them, and just caused mischief. We stopped because we found out something really personal to another pony. Now go get your books.”

Twilight hugged me good bye and ran towards the library. I stayed behind to write a report telling my mom how Twilight’s studies went today. While these weren’t my favorite thing to do I understand it’s necessity. Doing these reports are easy ways to communicate, so if somepony else has to take over a task, they don’t spend time trying to figure out where the last person left.

“Prince Golden,” a guard said from the other side of the door. “Princess Celestia request your presence.”

“I’ll be there in a minute,” I said as I finished the report

I signed the paper and used a spell to teleport it to the archive. Twilight’s study room wasn’t too far from the throne room, but it was far enough for me to get lost in my thoughts. I looked at some of the maid and servants around the castle and felt my heart break a little.

Equestria’s economy has taken a turn for the wort. We are currently in a recession and it is hitting most ponies pretty hard. The only ponies who seem to be immune are those wealthy enough to the point where losing some thousands of bits would be less than a drop in a bucket, like the royal family. Cadence and I couldn’t stand by and watch ponies lose their jobs and homes. We encouraged our mom to hire more castle workers, to which she agreed on one condition: Everyone hired must be younger than 25. Celestia knows how hard it is to get a job, even when we’re in a finically stable place. She wants to give young ponies the opportunity to gain some job experience and the ability to contribute to their house.

My heart is breaking because this is not their destiny. These young ponies are not castle workers. They are writers and musicians, photographers and accountants, bakers and teachers, not servants and maids. These ponies cannot practice their talent because they are too busy working in the castle. That is why I’m making it my number one goal to end the recession.

I approached the door and the guards opened them for me. I didn’t personally know the guard on the left, but the one on the right is my best friend, Shining Armor. I first met him during his training for the royal guard. He accompanied me to a trip to Ponyville for a meeting with their mayor. It was actually a little strange that I asked a guard to come with me, as it’s only a small town and I wasn’t staying for long. I only wanted somepony to come with me so I wouldn’t be alone and wanted to talk to somepony during the trip. He was assigned at random because he really wasn’t needed at the castle. We talked a good amount and I saw into his heart. Shining Armor is a generally a good pony who wants to bring happiness wherever he goes. We became friends when I asked for him personally.

I walked in to find my mom staring out of a window into a garden. That’s one thing I’ve always admired about her Cadence. Regardless of how dark or bleak things are, no matter how depressed they are feeling, they can always find the beauty of something. I once found my mother sitting under a tree, staring at a swan and her cygnets. She wondered if a swan knew her children would be viewed as beautiful or if she had to raise them that way. She then asked if she was a good mother and I told her she was the best.

“You wish to see me, mother?” I said as I approached her.

“Yes,” she said, turning around to face me. “I have an essential matter we need to talk about.”

“Is it about my proposal to end the recession? I know it would be costly, but it’s a much better option than what we have now and we will be back to where we were in a matter of months.”

“It’s not that, Golden. I need to talk about your marriage.” I sighed and turned away to leave. “Wait, Golden. This is highly important if you wish to take over my spot one day. Ponies need to be able to trust who you pick.”

“Why do I need to pick somepony at all? Why can’t I just lead by myself?”

“You know I don’t care either way. Your happiness is the only thing that matters to me and if that means you never marry, then so be it. But who you love says something about who you are and the ponies of Equestria will have an easier time trusting you if you pick the right mare.”

“I don’t want to ‘pick’ a mare. I want to fall in love with a mare. I want to find a mare who loves me for me and not my title or money.”

“I know you do, sweetie. I want you to be happy I really do. I just wish your father was here to help us.”

“What would he say?” Celestia smiled as she thought about my father. She often does this and has a big smile whenever he enters her thoughts.

“He would tell me to stop worrying and you’ll find love when you find love. I know I’m making a big deal about this, but I’m just making sure you and Equestria are ready for you. I don’t want to rush you, but can you at least make an effort? Come to the dinner we are having in honor of our Saddle Arabian guests. Maybe you could find somepony there.”

“I’ll be there and I’ll try to meet somepony. It’s just a little hard for me since you-know-who.”

I’m referring to my last marefriend, Angel. Cadence introduced at a party and we hit it off. Our first date was a week later and dated for five years after that. I learned that she only wanted to be with me because she wanted to marry into the royal family and become a princess. I had some trust issues after I broke up with her and haven’t really gotten over it.

A pony came in to have Celestia sign some papers. I decided to go back to my room to take a nap before the dinner started. Once again, I was saddened by the ponies around the castle not indulging in their talents.

“Excuse me, sir,” a young light grey mare with a dark grey mane in a maid outfit said to me. “If there is anything I could do for you for a few extra bits, please feel free to ask.”

“How old are you?” I asked.

“Twenty, sir.”

“And your cutie mark, it means you have a connection to music, correct?”

“Yes sir. My whole family has some connection to music sir.”

“Then what are you doing here? Why are you in this castle, cleaning the mess others make? You could be out in the world playing the…”

“Cello, sir.”

“Playing the cello for everyone to hear. You could be bringing joy to everyone who hears it. You can create a picture with that beautiful sound, but you chose to come here every day and clean.”

“It’s not that simple, sir. I would love to be out there playing my cello. I miss the days where I would walk onto stage, wearing a beautiful dress, play my heart out, and take a bow as the audience applauded me. I miss the days where I had nothing to do, but relax and play my cello. However, the recession hit my family hard. No pony had money to come to our concerts, so we had less money. I had to take this job just to make sure we could eat every night.”

“So, you’re another victim of the recession?”

“If you wish to call me that, sir.”

“What is your name?”

“Octavia Melody, sir.”

“I promise you, Miss Melody, I will end this recession. I will see to it that you will only work jobs you want and not jobs you need. I promise you will relive those days of just you and your cello. I promise that you will one day hear that applause. Until then, hold out your hand.”

Octavia looked hesitant, but she obeyed. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a number of five bit coins and put them into her hand.

“That should hold you over until I can think of something for you to do.”

She counted the coins in her hand and realized I just gave her 50 bits. Her jaw dropped when she finished counting and looked at me with her lavender eyes.

“I can’t take this, sir. It’s very generous and it will help feed my family, but I didn’t do anything to earn it.”

“You are here trying when you shouldn’t be. That’s reason enough for me and I’m sure my sister would agree. Besides, this is half of a hydrogen molecule in a bucket for somepony like me. Please take it.”

“Thank you sir.” Octavia and I went on our way. I applaud Octavia for her bravery. The maid are told never to talk to a member of the royal family unless it is an urgent matter or they are addressed first. To walk up to me and engage me in conversation is no small task.

With my work done for now, I was free to take a well-deserved nap. I have been working my flank off on the solution to the recession and left little time to sleep. I was up late working with accountants, ponies with enough money, and public representatives. My plan is simply to encourage spending by giving each home a percent of their yearly income. Right now, ponies have cut spending down to the bare essentials, meaning less money is going to the stores, meaning stores need to let ponies go because they cannot afford to pay them, meaning ponies don’t have money to spend. If ponies are willing to spend on things they both want and can fully pay, which money will go back into the economy and jobs will be created. For now, however, it’s time to for me to sleep.

I woke up about an hour before dinner, which was just the right amount of time to get ready. I showered, brushed my teeth, styled my mane, and put on my favorite suit. I always liked these social events, as my sister and I are very social. I like talking to other ponies and learning about their lives. Everypony lives a deep a vivid life, much like mine, and I love to hear their stories. I love to hear how somepony grew up and compare to how different they are from mine.

As I walked out of my room, I saw Octavia about to enter the forbidden room. Celestia told me when I was young to never let anypony alone. It holds a secret known only to the royal family and cannot be known by members of the public. She told me that maybe one day, I will be allowed to take somepony in there, but I need to keep everypony out of that room for now.

“Wait!” I shouted as I sprinted over to her. “You cannot clean that room.”

“My apologies, Prince Golden, but I have been told to dust the castle and this room is part of the castle. If I don’t clean this room, then there is a good chance I will get fired.”

“You will be fired if you enter that room. Behind that door is a well-kept secret that you cannot see. I promise you will not be fired if you do not clean that room.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“What time did you start working?”

“8 AM, sir.”

“You have been working for ten hours?” I asked in astonishment. 

“It’s what I have to do to feed my family, sir.”

“I gave you money to feed yourself and your family. Why are you still working?”

“I need as much money as possible. I’m afraid we’re also falling behind on our bills and I would like a little extra money for myself.”

“You’ve been working hard, Miss Octavia. Please, go home and spend the night with your family. I’m sure they’re grateful for all you are doing and they would love to spend time with you.”

“Yes sir,” Octavia said after some thought. She smiled at me and walked away to change into her street clothes. I’m sad to see a mare that young spend all of her time working. It only empowers me to end this recession.

Celestia likes to have excuses to have dinner parties. The castle is way too big and she loves to have it filled with ponies. Tonight was the going away party for the Saddle Arabian guests. I wasn’t able to spend much time with them, but I enjoyed what time I did.

I waked into the dining room and found my seat at Celestia’s table. The table was filled with ponies with high status and guests personally invited by a member of the royal family. My seat was next to my sister and another mare.

“Golden!” Cadence said as she stood up to hug me. I always loved being with Cadence as she has a way to bring a smile to my face. “Are you finally taking a break from your work?”

“More like I finally finished my work. I submitted my proposal to end the recession and mom is looking over it.”

“Well then have a seat and let me introduce you to Princesses Desert Blossom, the Jewell of Saddle Aribia.”

“Charmed,” I said as I took her hand and kissed it and took my seat next to her. “I’m sorry this is our first and last meeting.”

“Do you not live in the castle?” Desert Blossom asked.

“Desert will be staying with us in Canterlot for the next two months,” Cadence explained.

“My father thinks it’s best that I explore other cultures while I am young. He asked your mother if it was okay and Princess Celestia seemed overjoyed to have me.”

“Well then, I’ll have to show you around Canterlot sometime.”

Desert and I talked for most of the dinner. We mainly traded stories of our adventures while we travelled around with our parents. Just to hear the different experiences she had was fascinating to me. Cadence was joking around, saying things like tonight was the night we fall in love. I had to remind her of her obsession with Shining Armor and how she was too terrified to say anything to him. When dinner ended, I walked the princess back to her room. She kissed me on both cheeks, but reassured me that it was just a traditional goodbye in Saddle Aribia.

“I know you’re there,” I said to Cadence who was hiding around a corner. She came out of hiding as I walked past her to go back to my room.

“You like her, don’t you?” She asked as she walked next to me.

“I like her more than I like Blueblood.”

“You like everyone more than you like Bluey. You know you can tell me anything.”

“I’m still having some trust issues,” I said with a sigh. “Angel didn’t just break my heart, she took five years of my life. She made me devote all of my time to her and it meant nothing to her. Maybe in time I will find somepony who will mend my broken heart, but until then, no I don’t like her.”

“I think you’ve already met that mare. You might not know it yet, but your heart does. Maybe it is Desert Blossom or another mare that you just casually passed by, but your heart has already started to trust someone.”

“Thanks Cadence. You always know what to say.” We smiled, hugged, and wished each other a good night.

The next few weeks went along the same. I had the opportunity to show the princess around Canterlot. It fascinated me to see Canterlot through fresh eyes and I loved hearing her stories from Saddle Aribia. I would still help my mother when she needed it, but I didn’t really have anything to do now that I have submitted my plan to end the recession. My main job was to help Twilight with her studies, which I enjoyed. Maybe when I take the throne, I’ll take up a few students of my own. I gave Octavia a few extra small jobs and gave her a few extra bits for her service. I felt a little bad doing it, but she always came into work with a smile and was able to hold a conversation. The only real challenge was keeping my brother in line and making sure the new maids and servants were happy to be here. However, he has gotten out of hand recently. I have found him trying to give maids skimpy outfits and telling them these are their new work clothes. I had to release a statement to the staff telling them not to wear anything Blueblood gives them.

I woke up day knowing I had nothing to do. My proposal was still under debate, Cadence decided to take Desert to a spa today, and Princess Celestia has a special assignment for Twilight and needed to oversee it herself. Today was for me. It started out normally with a shower, breakfast, and reading the newspaper, but then I saw something that told me today wasn’t going to be just a relaxing day. Octavia was cleaning a mirror, just as she should be doing, but she was wearing one of Blueblood’s outfits. I had to think of something fast to save this poor good from Blueblood’s lust.

“Miss Octavia,” I said as I approached her, “can you please follow me.” She wordlessly obeyed. I assumed she was feeling the shame the outfit brought to a pony to high stature. I led her down a hallway to a changing room. The room was really two rooms, a closet and a show room with a room divider for privacy.  I told her to find a dress she liked a change into it.

“You know you could have been fired for wearing that,” I told her as she changed.

“I’m sorry sir. Please don’t fire me, sir.”

“Enough with ending your sentences with ‘sir’. The only thing that truly separates us is my title. I am no better than you in anyway.”

“I could be fired for not doing it, sir.”

“Only if you are a maid.”

“I’m sorry sir. I promise you I will never wear anything like that again. Prince Blueblood promised me 500 bits if I wore that outfit all day.”

“I should have figured as much. You are not maid material, Octavia. You are a performer and you should be treated as such. Are you changed?”

“Yes.” She responded.

“Show me.” Octavia stepped out from behind the divider wearing a beautiful dress. It was a black dress that covered most of her body. The dress was kept up in two by two studded straps that create a V shape in between her breasts. The straps continued to the back and made a triple figure eight pattern. 

“It’s beautiful,” I said as Octavia started to blush. “Follow me.”

I led her to another room. This one was filled with instruments from all over the world. Celestia and my father thoroughly enjoyed music from anywhere. We would hear stories of how the two of them would dance all night at a ball only to find they were the only ones dancing. When my father died, Celestia promised to keep his memory alive by continuing to share music.

Octavia’s eyes lit up when she realized what I wanted her to do. In the middle of the room was a cello, a bow, and two chairs across from each other. She asked I wanted her to play for me. I told her that was her new job. She is to play for me either whenever I want or whenever she wants. She didn’t wait for me to say anything and quickly made her way to the seat. I took mine as she made sure the instrument was in tune.

When everything was to her liking, Octavia picked up the bow and held it out as if it was an extension of her arm. She put the bow to the strings and the second a smile grew across her face as a note slipped out.

Octavia’s music was nothing like I’ve heard before. Within a few notes, you could hear the passion and love for her work. You could hear every thought that went through her head and they were all lovely. Most importantly, you could hear the joy in her being able to do what she loves. When she finished, she asked if she could play more. Wanting to hear more, I told her that she could play as much as she wants. We lost track of time as Octavia was lost in her own art.

Something like this happened almost every day for a week. Octavia would show up to the castle, change into one of our beautiful dress, and we would either talk or she would play her cello for hours on end. I would always watch her and get lost in her world, and give her plenty of bits at the end of the day. There were times when I would bring other ponies to watch her too, but I found myself alone more often than not. I still had some duties I had to attend to, like helping Twilight with her studies. Octavia would usually come along if I was called to a different part of the castle and act as an assistant.

I had gotten to know this mare well over the course of a week. Octavia has a beautiful sense of honor and class to her. She isn’t willing to comprise her beliefs for anything and found courage sticking to her values. She would never let anything get to her and never lost her refined class. Let’s not forget that she is one of the most intelligent and cultured mares I could ever met. I can talk to her about anything, and I usually do.

I realized something very dangerous when she was playing six days after her first session. I was in love. Cadence had told me that my heart had already found someone to trust and it was Octavia. I wanted her by my side for the rest of my life and I didn’t care who knew. There were a few problems with these feelings, however. First, I don’t know if she loves me too. We haven’t known each other for long and the only reason I know I love her is because of my heart. To her, this could just be a private concert for someone who is willing to pay or a dear friendship that she never wants to lose.

Second, there is the fact I am an alicorn. At one point in an alicorn’s life, they stop aging. Our bodies never decay and our organs never fail. Our bodies can be destroyed and damaged beyond the point of repair, but we can never die of natural causes. Octavia, however, is not an alicorn. She is an earth pony and destined to die. There will come a time where she will die and I am forced to move on without her. But I first have to find out if she feels the same before I worry about that.

I was waiting for Octavia the next day in the entrance hall today. I had something in mind to help me find out if my love is requited.

“Good morning, Prince Golden,” Octavia said as she entered the castle. “Is there anything you would like to hear today?”

“Actually, I thought I would play something for you today,” I said as we walked down the hallway leading to the music room.

“You play?”

“Of course. My father loved the piano and I felt a connection to the instrument when I first put my fingers on the keys.”

“I’m sorry to learn about your father. I’ve been told that he was a great leader and I’m sure he would have done an even better job raising you.”

“Thank you, Octavia. I’m glad there are ponies out there that know of my father’s legacy. I plan to be just as great as a leader as he was, but I don’t have to worry about that for a while.”

“So, can I make a request?”

“Only after I finish my song.”

We reached the room where Octavia plays for me. Her cello was replaced with a piano and the seat I usually sit in was moved next to the performer’s seat. We took our seats and I prepared for my performance. I pressed one of the keys and smiled as I heard the sound of this beautiful instrument.

I took some time to consider what to play beforehand. I remember my mom telling me about a song my dad would play for her. She said the song was a love story. It starts out about a stallion seeing a mare and the feelings of his first love. It then jumps to the first date and shows his nervousness and later the excitement of his first kiss.

Like Octavia, I got lost in the music. I think she would agree when I say there is something liberating about playing an instrument. Having all of your thoughts and feeling are communicated without words and only those who truly understand you know what you’re saying. There are times where you just want to ignore the rest of the world and keep playing whatever you want. But I can’t ignore the world right now because Octavia is in it. 

Octavia applauded when I finished. I turned to her and smiled as I saw her smiling too. I wanted to ask her if she liked, but she lunged forward and planted her lips against mine. The kiss was exactly like the song described, but even better than I remembered. There was a perfect spark between us that was like no other. It didn’t even feel this good when I kissed Angel. In that one kiss, I knew that she loved me too and that we were destined to be together.

“I guess you liked it,” I said when our lips parted.

“I can’t believe I’m in love with a prince. And I’m overjoyed to know that you love me too.”

“Octavia, I’ve never loved anyone more than I love you. You inspired me to finish that song and all I want to do is play that song for you over and over again. I want you by my side forever.”

“And I want to be by your side forever. I’ve never felt love until I met you and it’s a feeling I never want to forget.”

“There a problem with our love,” I said knowing we had to talk about it at some point. “You’re not an alicorn.”

“How is that a problem?” She asked with plenty of concern.

“Alicorns never die of natural causes. You are will age and your body will eventually fail you. I can’t bear to watch you die while I continue to suffer a life without you.”

“You’re saying we can never be together, aren’t you?”

“Not with a price. Follow me.”

I led Octavia to the room she attempted to clean the first day we met. The only way to legally enter the room is with a member of the royal family and only for ceremonial reasons. In other words, I’m only breaking half a law by taking Octavia in here.

The only lighting in the room comes from the fountain. The only thing that can be seen is the fountain, the light blue, glowing liquid flowing through it, and a chalice. There isn’t a single sound in the room. Not even the sound of the liquid or the echoes of the hall outside. This is one of the most isolating place in Equestria and houses one of my family’s darkest secrets.

“What is this place?” Octavia asked as I closed the door behind her.

“A place of legend,” I responded. “I believe you grew up calling it ‘The Fountain of Youth’.”

“It’s real?” Octavia shouted in excitement. She covered her mouth when she thought there was a chance somepony heard her.

“Relax. No pony can hear us. It’s real but not in the way you know it. Tell me, what have you heard about it?”

“According to legend, the fountain is located an overgrown jungle, as the plants around it drink from it. It’s said that anything that drinks from it will be granted a youthful body, mind, and spirit. The only problem is you must drink from it every 30 moons or else you will revert back to whatever form you should be. Ponies have gone mad looking for it and some by trying to find it again.”

“Almost none of that is true. The truth is my grandfather from nine generations back led a team of alicorns to find the fountain. The only difference is that it only takes one drink and the pony is granted immortality for the rest of their life. He believed that no pony should hold the power of immortality, so he and the other alicorn teleported the fountain to this castle. Little did they know using magic on a legend causes you to become a part of that legend. They didn’t just use magic on the fountain. The fountain used its magic on them.”

“That’s why you’re immortal…” Octavia said realizing what the price was.

“A few generations back, my grandmother fell in love with a pegasus, but was in the same situation we are in. The pegasus drank from that chalice and the two are still alive to this day. Since then we have saved this for only for those who we cannot bare to live without. My mother made my brother drink from it, as she couldn’t even think about a life without the three of us. Now, I ask you to do the same. Before you drink, however, you must consider the possibilities of immortality. Your friends and family will die around you and there is nothing you can do about it. You must face this heartbreak over and over again and it might break you.”

“But…you’ll be there to help me, right?”

“Of course I will. Any heart break you suffer, I will be there for you and help you through it. You don’t have to make a decision now and I’ll understand if you decide against it, but please-”

“I’ll do it.” She said.

“Are you sure? This is a major decision and in fairness you have only known me for a short amount of time.”

“I’ve known you for much longer, Golden. Do you remember when you were thirteen and you met a little mare at the gala?”

“You were the mare who was crying in the hallway because your best friend moved to Ponyville.”

“You told me that one day I would make a new friend and that one will make me feel great again. You said that friend might not make me feel the same way, but that just means it’s a different kind of friendship and one that you will treasure just as much. Do you remember what we did next?”

“We spent the rest of the night together talking. I even stole you an extra piece of cake to make you feel better.”

“That’s why I first developed a crush on you. You did whatever you needed to so I would feel better. You didn’t even know me, I was just some filly crying at a party and you went out of your way so a stranger would feel better.

“My mother always told me that I would know when I found the perfect stallion for me. She told me never let that colt go and never do anything to hurt them. She said that I would do insane things for him, but I would never regret it. I love you so much, Golden. I don’t care who knows about it. If I had to choose between you and my cello, I would choose you any day. If you asked me to marry you right now, I would say ‘yes’ before you could finish the question. I know this is a big step, but if everything you’re saying is true and you will love me forever, than I’m willing to do this for you.”

“Will you marry me?” A smile came across her face and she pulled me into another kiss.

“Of course I will.”

“I’m over the moon to hear you say that, but please don’t drink now. Once the marriage is announced you will be asked to drink and you do not want to know what happens if you drink twice.”

“Okay, but please don’t keep me waiting.”

Octavia and I were able to sneak out of the room without anypony seeing. We spent the rest of the day in the music room until her time was up. I had to tell my mom about Octavia and how I had to found a mare that I loved. I busted into the throne room to find Cadence with a somber look.

“Cadence,” I said, “where’s mom?”

“Golden, mom is sick. She’s really sick and she needs you to take over for…well we don’t know how long.”

“What do you mean? What’s wrong with her?”

“We’re not completely sure, but…” Cadence tried to hold back tears, but ultimately failing. I hugged my sister as tight as I could. “There’s a chance that she can enter an endless cycle of life and death.”

“She won’t, Cadence. I promise I will do anything to make her better. Until then, be by her side and help her get healthy.”

“I will, but can you come by her room sometime tonight to check on her? I’m sure she would love to see you.”

“Of course I will. I love you, Cadence.”

“I love you too,” Cadence said as she left the room.

I whistled for my pet phoenix. I found Philomena in the castle garden when I was seven. She was only a baby and we couldn’t find her mother. My mom let me take her in and nurse her back to health. When it was time to release the phoenix, she didn’t want to leave and became attached to me. I named her Philomena because I liked the sound of it. Since then she has been a loyal bird and a great friend. She always knows when something is wrong with me and will always pull pranks on the guards to try and make me laugh.

I wrote a letter to Octavia telling her about my mom and how I’m taking her place until she is better.  I asked her to come to the ceremony announcing and making my temporary leadership official. There, after all the papers were signed, I would announce our engagement.

I spent the next hour thinking about this. All I wanted to be the leader of Equestria with a mare that I loved by my side. Today, I got just that. I found a mare that not only loves me, but also doesn’t care about my title. She didn’t care that I was a prince, only that I was kind. And now I have the opportunity to live up to my father’s name. I have the chance to be as great as a leader as he was and I know that I can. But all of this at the cost of my mother’s life. No, it’s not worth it. Nothing is worth my mother’s life. I would rather never lead Equestria than have her die.

I left to see my mother, but when I opened the door to the hallway, but just as I reached for the knob, the door opened. On the other side was Princess Desert Blossom who was surprised to see me.

“There you are,” she said when she realized I was on the other side of the door, “I’ve been looking for you.”

“I’m sorry, Princess, but I have an important matter to attend to,” I said as I tried to get past her.

“Actually, that’s why I was looking for you. My father asked to see you.”

“Tell him that this is a little more important than whatever he needs.”

“He said you would say that, so he wanted me to tell you that your mother’s life may depend on it.”

While I wanted to see my mom, I promised Cadence that I would do anything to save our mother’s life. If the king of Saddle Aribia has something that could do that, I must meet with him. The Princess led me to a board room where her father was waiting.

“Prince Golden,” the king said when I entered, “I am sorry to hear about your mother.”

“She’ll be alright, hopefully after this conversation. You said that you might have something that could help her.”

“I have brought you this,” he said as he opened a box on the table and showed me its contents. Inside was a single orange flower.

“What is this?”

“This is the Nunu Flower. Have you ever head of it?”

“I’ve heard of the name in a story I read when I was younger, but no description was given.”

“It is said that this flower, if prepared properly, can heal anypony from any ailment. It’s even brought ponies back to life.”

“Thank you so much for this.” I tried to take the box from him, but he had a firm grip on it.

“Not so fast, prince,” he said after closing the box. “This flower is a legend in Saddle Aribia. Very few know that it exist and even fewer have ever seen it. I’m sure Equestria has its own legends that turn out to be true.”

“Where is this going?”

“I know of your immortality and I know you can grant that upon anypony. Admit it, prince, you have the fountain of youth.”

“So what if we do? Even if we know where it is, you must drink from it every 30 moons or else face a fate worse than death, so the legend goes.”

“I am no fool. I know that it is here and one only needs a single drink to live many lifetimes.”

“Why do you want to be immortal anyway? Do you not understand how difficult it would be to watch all of your friends and family die?”

“I am the king who save Saddle Aribia from raiders. I am the king that gave ponies a home and inspired them to make the land great again. My people need me and they will always need me.”

“Even if we did have a fountain of youth and we allowed some non-alicorn ponies to drink from it, what makes you think you can even get to it? I’m sure we would have some laws to limit its access only to the royal family.”

“Then marry my daughter.”

“What?” I shouted.

“If you marry my daughter than she becomes a part of the royal family and has access to your immortality. I’ll make you deal: marry my daughter and I’ll give you the flower.”

I was shocked that he would even ask a thing like that. He was asking me to be with someone that I had no romantic feelings for. Plus, he’s playing with my mom’s life, but what other option do I have? Cadence said the doctors have no idea how long it would take for her to get better. She even said there is a chance that my mom can die. This might be my only opportunity to save her, and I promised Cadence I would do anything to help her.

“I’ll do it,” I said after thinking it over.

“Wonderful!” The king said with an evil grin. “You will announce your marriage tomorrow and grant Desert’s immortality soon after.”

“Not so fast. I’ll give you access to the fountain only after I get the flower. I imagine that I would only get the flower when you get the fountain.”

“Fine, we’ll get what we want after the wedding, deal?”

“Deal.”

I left the room sicken by his smile. I had to fulfill my promise to Cadence and went to see my mom. She was sleeping when I go to her room, so I tried to be as quiet as possible. I asked her what she would do if she was in this situation. Would she give these people what they wanted if Cadence or Blueblood or I were sick? Would she make different demands? I started to wonder I was the one to take over and not Cadence. She’s just as great of leader as I am. I then started to wonder if I be a good leader.  

Walking back to my room, I started to wonder how I got here. What if I had never talked to Octavia? Would I feel better about marrying Desert? I certainly wouldn’t have to worry about what she is going to do. What if I never wanted to try and live up to my father’s name? I wouldn’t have been in a position to decide between my mother’s life and my happiness.  A knock on my door interrupted my train of thought.

“May I enter,” Blueblood said.

“I would prefer to be alone, Blueblood.”

“Please, it’s important. I need to talk to somepony about mother.”

“Alright. What are you feeling?”

“I’m afraid, Golden. I’m afraid that we’re going to lose her and I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“Neither am I and I’m sure Cadence isn’t. We have doctors working as hard as they can and they’re going to help her.”

“You know I’ve always been grateful I was born into this family. If we were born into any other family, even one of the same social class, I’m sure our parents wouldn’t care about me.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m not an alicorn. You and Caide are born for greatness. You have an infinite lifetimes to do great things for the ponies around you, but I don’t. If mother didn’t make me drink from the fountain I don’t know what would have happened.”

“She would have loved you just the same.”

“Would she? You know, I was always jealous of you. Mother always wanted you to become a leader, so she devoted more time and effort to you. I always thought she loves you more because she had more invested in you. Meanwhile, I’m here to figure everything out for myself.”

“I think you did a pretty good job for figuring things out for yourself. I mean, besides the whole maid outfit thing.”

“Sorry about that. I might have had a little too much to drink one night and my drunken personality thought it would have been funny. I guess a maid found it and a note the next day and thought I was serious.”

“I guess you have to do something to entertain yourself, but you really could do more.”

“I know I can. This whole thing with mother made me realize it’s time to grow up. When she gets better, I will ask her for more responsibilities and do more around the castle to help in any way I can.”

"What made you want to change?”

“In one of my drunken stupors, I tried the maid thing again. I did everything I could to get her to wear it, even promising her a large amount of bits. The next morning I realized how much of a mistake it was and tried to find the mare. I couldn’t find the outfit and I couldn’t remember the mare’s face so I assumed she quit and I couldn’t apologize. I am now the stallion that treated her like an object. I don’t want to be that pony and realized I needed to change.

“I think you’re already on your way,” I said with a smile. “Alright, I’m pretty tired and I have a big day tomorrow.”

“Okay, good night brother. I enjoyed this talk.”

“Good night. And I’m always open to talk whenever you want.”

My talk with Blueblood didn’t really relive my stress and I went to sleep uneasy. I woke up the next morning knowing how tough today was going to be. In the span of an hour I will become the leader of Equestria, become engaged to a mare that I don’t love, and break the heart of the one that I do. I wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and have somepony else take my place for the day. But that wasn’t an option.

I went through the motions of getting ready. I soon found myself in a study trying to figure out what I was going to say to the people of Equestria. Just thinking about mentioning my marriage. I dreaded seeing Octavia when I told her that I was marring a mare I don’t love.

“Hey,” Cadence said as she entered the room. “Are you ready for your big day?” 

“I guess,” I sighed.

“What’s wrong?” I had to think how to approach this question. In the slices between us, Cadence came up to me and hugged me, knowing I would need it.

“How’s mom doing?”

“Not good. I don’t think she would be able to make it today. I’m sorry Golden.”

“It’s probably for the best. It won’t be my finest moment and I would rather not have her see it.”

“What are you taking about? This is what you wanted. Sure it’s only temporary and you would probably like it if nothing was wrong with mom, but you’re going to become the leader of Equestria.”

“I’m in love, Cadence. I’m in love with the cello player I introduced you to. I love her more than I’ve loved any other pony and there is nothing I want to do more than to go out there and tell all of Equestria. And the best part is she loves me too. She told me that she loves me as much as I love her and she doesn’t care that I’m a prince.  We love each other so much that I’ve already asked her to marry me. She even knew about the fountain and said she would drink if I was the pony to help her through her grief.” 

“That’s so sweet. I told you your heart already found somepony it trusts. I can already tell that your love is pure and it’s the same I love in mom when she talks about dad. So, you announce the marriage today and we can start planning the wedding by tomorrow. Plus, I’m sure this good news would be just what she needs to get better.”

“It’s not that simple. The Saddle Arabian king has a flower that can save mom, but he won’t give it to me unless he becomes immortal.”

“You have to say ‘no’. I don’t care what he has, he can’t become immortal unless he is a member of the royal family.”

“That’s just it, he wants me to marry Desert. If I marry her, her family becomes members of the royal family which gives them access to the fountain and we get the flower.”

“But you’re miserable because you’re not with the mare you love. You can’t do this, Golden.”

“I have to. I promised you that I would do anything to save mom.”

“We’ll find another way. We have our best doctors working on it and they can figure out what’s wrong and find a cure. Plus, mom wouldn’t want you to do this. She would want you to be happy and-”

“Cadence,” I said as I put my hands on her shoulders to calm her down, “its fine. I’ll be happy so long as I have you, mom, and Blueblood. But there is something you can do for me. Find the cello player and lead her here. Her name is Octavia and I feel like I owe her an explanation.”

“I will, but make sure you think it through before you announce anything. And remember, the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”

Cadence left the room, leaving me to my thoughts again. I took heart what she said and then I knew what I had to do.

Shining came to get me when it was time for the ceremony to begin. He led me to the throne room, which was filled with ponies from all over Canterlot. The room erupted a round of applause as I entered. I walked down the center isle and looked at all the ponies here. Of course, Octavia was there with her parents who I’m hoping she didn’t say anything to. On the other side towards the front is the king and Desert with a devious grin on the king’s face.

The audience died down when the officiator started talking. He said something about times changing and a change of leadership was needed. There was nothing wrong with keeping my mom as a leader, but she believes her time is over and must pass on the torch. It then hit me, this wasn’t temporary. My mom is officially stepping down and I’m taking her place today. He then started talking about the achievements. He talked about the diplomatic missions I have been on and the visits to small towns or villages. Then he read a statement from Twilight talking about how I helped her with her magic. Finally I signed a few papers and it was official. I was the leader of Equestria. The final part of the ceremony was my address to the people of Equestria.

“People of Equestria, I am sorry this ceremony comes at a low point for my family. My first promise is that I will not hide anything from you, including my family life. My mother, Princess Celestia, has fallen ill with an unknown sickness. We are doing everything we can to make her well again and I am positive they will cure her. I also know how many business are failing and families are losing their homes. I know there are ponies out there who have it so much worse than I. My second promise is to end the recession and bring Equestria back to where it was.

“My mother believes when everything in your life goes wrong, make something go right. I have fallen in love with a mare and I would do anything for her. If she were to ask me to step down as leader of this great land, I would do it and I know she would do the same for me. I have never loved a mare more than I love this mare, so my third promise is to her. I promise to never leave your side and to be there whenever you need it. Octavia Melody, will you marry me?”

Almost everypony in the room erupted in murmurs. I looked over at Desert and her father, who were smiling and filled with rage respectively. Ponies from newspapers all across Equestria were asking all sorts of questions, the biggest one being who Octavia actually is. Everypony went quiet as Octavia stood up and made her way to the front. 

“I will,” she said when she reached the front. We kissed each other and the room erupted in applause. There were some ponies still trying to ask us question, but they were drowned out by the noise.

“If there are no further matters to discuss,” I said when mine and Octavia’s lips parted, “I would like to get to work on helping my mother.”

Octavia and I walked out of the room and back to my study. Octavia was smiling the entire time. When we reached the study, I asked Octavia to find her parents so I could meet them. The truth is I didn’t want her to be there for the confrontation that was about to happen.

“You ignorant child,” the Saddle Aribia king said as he busted in the door. “Do you realize what you have done?”

“I chose love,” I said.

“You have not only doomed your mother, but you’ve defied a king and destroyed his land. I could declare a war on you and your people will throw me a parade.”

“Do you know what you did? You decided to play with not just my mother’s life, but the life of a beloved princess. I could build a dungeon, throw you in it, and no pony would care.”

“I gave you the choice to save your own mother and all you had to do is marry my daughter, but you chose your own wants over your mother.”

“I think he made the right choice,” Celestia said as she entered the room. She looked completely fine. If I didn’t see her last night, I would have believed she was never on the precipice of death.

“How?” The king asked with his jaw on the ground.

“Because of me,” Desert said. “You had no right to use his mother as a bargaining chip. Of course he would do anything to save her and you took advantage of that. Plus, did you even consider that I don’t love him. I want to marry somepony I love not somepony I have to. I stole the flower, prepared the tea, and give it to the princess before the ceremony.”

“We will talk about this when we get home,” the king said. He stormed out in a fit of rage, not even waiting for his daughter.

“Thank you for having me,” Desert said. “You have a lovely city and I’m honored to be a guest here. I hope to return soon to see the changes you have made, Prince Golden.”

Desert left the room, leaving only me and my mother. The first thing I did was hug her tight.

“I was so afraid of losing you,” I said.

“You shouldn’t have,” she said with a smile. “A good leader never worries about just one pony.”

“But dad would have and he was a great leader.”

“True,” she said with a chuckle. “So, are you ready to take on this responsibility? It’s a pretty big step up.”

“If you think I’m ready than I’ll lead Equestria and give it everything I’ve got.”

Cadence, Blueblood, Octavia, and her parents walked into the room shortly after. Octavia’s parents told me how she has been raving about a boy that she has been going crazy for. They’ve never seen their daughter like this and they were overjoyed that she found her one true love.

The changes Blueblood said he wanted to make had already started happening. He introduced himself to Octavia like a gentleman. She would have been angry with him for making her wear that outfit, but the whole thing brought us together and no pony really saw her wear it. As he wanted, I gave him most of my old responsibilities. He did a pretty good job at them and finally saw the stallion he wanted to be.

Cadence eventually confessed her love to Shining Armor. He responded by asking her on a date and eventually for her hand in marriage. Cadence has never been happier than when she is with him and it filled me with joy to see her that happy. Sometime after their wedding, I had to say good bye to my sister and my friend, as they went to live in the Crystal Empire. They still come back to Canterlot with their daughter every now and then.

The king returned to his land discouraged. He continued to trade with Equestria, but only because he had to, not because he wanted to. One of my fears was a declaration of war at any moment, but it never came. I was able to breathe again when I heard his daughter took his place and she wanted open communication between our kingdoms. Under Queen Desert Blossom, Saddle Araba became the center of culture. Beautiful buildings and statues were erected, which motivated the ponies to make the place they live even better. Octavia and I travel there every few years to see when the same things and we are blow away every time.

Princess Celestia took her extra time to take on a few more students. Each were unique and special in their own way. She asked me to take on Twilight’s lessons, but not because she took on too many new students. According to Celestia, Twilight needs a certain mentor must meet certain requirements that only the leader of Equestria could meet. She loved watching their skills blossom and watching them realize their true potential. She also spent time with the new additions to our family.

Octavia and I married a few months later and it was the happiest day of my life. She never let being a princess get to her, however. She was always humble and generous with the power. Her biggest motion was to bring the arts to children. After getting approval from a committee, Octavia was able to buy new instruments, refurbish school theaters, and fund art related clubs all across Equestria.

Our love never died or even faded. Of course there were somethings we didn’t agree on and we had some fights here and there, but whatever anger we felt towards each other was overshadowed by our love. Some ponies may have said we loved each other too much, so we brought three kids into the world to make up for it. Our first daughter came at a bit of a surprise to us, but we were happy just the same. We had our first son almost three years later and our youngest daughter two years after that. The five of us, along with my mother, Octavia’s parents, Cadence’s family, and Blueblood, make one big happy family and I wouldn’t have it any other way.