> Trapped > by Flutterpriest > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Main Story > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Come on Anon! You are holding us up!" shouts a pegasus stallion. "Easy for you guys to say. You all have wings." you call, huffing and puffing as you try to ascend the mountain, which must be a 60 degree incline. "You were the one that wanted to go to Pegasus Peak with us!" another teen pegasus interjects. You grit your teeth and keep going. Even after only packing the bare necessities, your backpack is way too heavy. All of the muscle strain, weariness and talking behind your back was worth it though. As you round the corner of the mountain bend, and begin to catch up to the group, you see her. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Your crush. The backpack doesn't seem as heavy anymore as you try to catch up. When you heard that she was going to join the winter holiday trip up to the top of Pegasus Peak, you simply couldn't refuse. This was your time to finally do it. To ask her out at the top of Pegasus Peak. The very thought makes your throat swell and your stomach fill with butterflies. You can do it Anon. This will be a piece of cake. Just like in your books. This couldn't possibly go wrong. As you walk along with the group, you try to make idle conversation with some of the others that joined the trip, but nobody seems to be interested in talking. Well, not that they aren't interested in talking, they just don't want to talk to you specifically.You smile and just try to enjoy the view. "Isn't it beautiful?" a dreamy feminine voice says, piercing the idle chatter. You turn your head to see Cadance walking beside you. The tightness in your chest returns with a vengeance . "I noticed that you are the only one looking out at the view instead of talking to somepony. I can't blame you. The view is breath taking, don't you think?" she adds. "Yeah. A once in a life time experience." you reply "You know... I've seen you around, but I don't think we've actually met." Cadance says. "I'm Cadance." "I'm Anon." you reply. "It's nice to finally meet you Princess." "Oh, there's no need to call me that. I hate the title honestly, sometimes I just-" "CADANCE! Come here!" Both of your attention is drawn to a small group of fillies that eye you carefully. "Oh! Um. Those are my friends. I should probably see what they want." "Right. I getcha." "It was really nice meeting you." "Y-you too." Cadance trots on ahead of you, where the fillies mutter with her under hushed tones. Really Anon? The stutter? You barely said anything. Mentally beating yourself, you continue to watch the path and the view on the way to the camp spot. The air becomes more frigid and cold as you work your way up the mountain with the other ponies. Sometimes they would stop for a bite to eat or to change social groups. The other ponies laugh and converse as they travel and here you are, walking alone. What are you doing Anon? Why did you join a trip of popular kids, when you barely knew any of them. You probably should have stayed home with your books. The path gradually moves from solid rock, to gravel, to steep ledges, to damp ground. As dark begins to fall, you notice dark, menacing clouds looming on the horizon. Storm clouds. "Hey guys." The other ponies ignore you and continue their journey. "Hey! I think we should make camp." One turns their head to eye you, then returns to their conversation. "That storm is coming in fast. If it's bad, we could risk falling off the mountain." The ponies continue to ignore you. You groan, knowing they are digging their own grave. This could be serious and they aren't even listening to you! "Hey. Look at those clouds!" Cadance says from the front of the group. You bite your tongue. Maybe you just weren't loud enough. You were at the back of the group. "We should probably make camp. Who knows what could be coming in?" The ponies all nod in agreement, as the search for a clearing begins. Searching didn't take long for the skilled fliers on the team and soon the group of teens begin to set up tents and try to build a small fire to cook soup that some of the parents packed for their trip. As you sit down on the cold, damp earth, you look up at the peak of the mountain, while unrolling your sleeping bag. If this is the end of the first day, you would probably reach the top by tomorrow. The group planned on reaching the peak tonight, which will add an extra day to the trip. You were prepared for it, with plenty of apples and extra water, but some of the others weren't. "How could you not bring any more Trail Mix!" shouts one stallion to another. "Well I didn't expect your fat flank to eat it all!" argues another. "Come on boys calm down, we all have plenty of supplies. We can all share." a filly interjects, standing in between the two. You watch the scene go down with a small smile. Looking down at your maximum adult pony sized sleeping bag, you sigh to yourself. No tent, no extra blankets. If it so much as snows, you are going to be miserable. At least you dressed in layers. "I'm happy you saw the storm coming Anon." says Cadance's voice, floating into your ear. You turn and see her standing a few feet from you. "I didn't notice it at all. If you didn't say something, we could have been blindsided." "I suppose it's nothing." you answer, trying to smooth out your oversized pink sleeping bag to make it look as manly as possible. Spoiler. It didn't work. "I was just trying to help the group I guess." Cadence smiles and nods. "Well, if this storm is bad, we will be indebted to you... Don't you have a tent?" You shake your head. "Nah. I- uh. I guess we all forget something, huh?" She raises an eyebrow. "A whole tent?" You shake your head in a lie. How could you possibly tell her why you don't have a tent. That you have almost no money, being a teen with no parents in a world of technicolor horses. You earned everything you had from doing odd jobs and working hard when you weren't in school. The only reason you even had apples was because you knew a quiet part of an orchard outside of Canterlot where you could take them without being seen. It took a week of saving just to get the sleeping bag. From a pawn shop. "Well, um. I would offer you room in my tent... but I don't think the girls would appreciate it." she chuckles. "Hey don't worry about it. Humans have thick skin. We can handle a little cold." you say, striking a pose that you remember from bodybuilder magazines from Earth. The pose completely eludes Cadance, but she still smiles and nods. "Um right. I should have guessed. Well, thanks anyway." she says appreciatively and turns to go back to her friends. Damn it Anon, say something. Your mouth opens and a snowflake gets sucked in. Aaand she's gone. You look to your arms, still in the pose. "Stupid Anon. What are you even doing?" The snow begins to start before the group can begin to eat their meal. Some of the teenagers retreat to their tents, while some of the others try to help those who don't have their shelters set up yet. You run to offer to help the others, but they say they have it under control. The white powder begins to accumulate on the rocky mountain path. You look up to the top of the mountain and see the snow is already accumulating to the point where it's overhanging the camp. It would only be a matter of time until... "An avalanche..." you say in panic. With purpose, you go to each tent and warn them about the oncoming avalanche. Each of them reply in similar ways. "Whatever. I'm sure we will be fine." "Go away. Nopony cares." "You just want to use OUR tent human." Groaning in frustration, the last few ponies enter their tents and gusts ripple the tent fabric. Running over to your sleeping bag, heavily coated in snow, you dust it off the best you can and roll it up under your arm. You can't stay here. Looking at the tents one more time, the tightness returns to your chest. But you can't leave them. Jogging to the only other tent, you knock on the fabric of the last tent you haven't tried. Cadance's tent. Some female pegasus answers the flap and looks out at you. "No boys allowed." she says flatly, and giggling is heard from within. "This is serious. It's not safe to be tented here. There's going to be-" "I said, no boys-" "Is that Anon?" you hear Cadance's voice say. She approaches the flap, trying to stay away from the cold. "There is going to be an avalanche if we stay here too much longer, we have to get everyone to saftey." Cadance looks to the girls and back to Anon. "Are you sure?" she asks. "Dead sure." you state confidently. "Then there is no time to waste. Girls, go rouse the other tents. Anon and I will try and find somewhere where the group can find shelter. "Alright Princess!" the girls say in unison as they leap from the tents. "Come on. I think I saw a cave we can use, it should hold everyone." you say strapping on your backpack. "Okay. Lead the way." she answers. You trudge forth in the snow and against the wind, which threatens your skin and is beginning to leave your face numb. She looks up at the overhanging snow and gasps. "Anon! I --" she yells into the wind, but the rest of her words are muffled by the storm. "What?!" you strain to hear. You look up and some of the overhanging snow begins to tip over. Silence falls as the white mass is taken over by gravity, and the tents disappear from sight. "NO!" Cadance screams. Your gut clenches. "We have to go back!" You place a hand on her back and raise your voice to fight the wind. "Cadance. We have to go!" "They need help!" she pleads. "There is nothing we can do now!" She looks up into your eyes. "The best thing we can do now is make sure we are safe! Come on, we have to get to shelter." She looks back at the mass of snow and then turns and nods. You push forward through the storm, the wind beating your face mercilessly. Cadance follows her hooves in your footsteps in the snow. The visibility drops to only a few feet in front of you. Somewhere around here. You reach out your hand and feel the side of the mountain. Turning back you see Cadance following behind closely, squinting to see better. A hoof of hers slips and she loses her balance. You step back quickly and pull her closer to the mountain as a large patch of snow falls where she once stood. "How much further!" "Almost there!" you yell. Your fingers numb as you feel the mountain for the entrance that you saw. Finally the rock gives way to air, and a dark empty cave provides refuge. That's when you hear the rumble. "SHIT!" You grab Cadance's hoof and rip her closer to you and run into the cave, just before a massive pile of snow covers the entrance. The both of you gasp for breath in the dark cave. A little light pours in, along with cold air near the top of the mouth of the cave, which isn't covered in snow. You and the alicorn look at each other, then back to the snow-covered entrance. "Alright. Let's not panic." you try to say calmly after you caught your breath. Not just for her, but for yourself. "Right." she says, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly accented by a motion with her hoof. "If we start carving a way out of the entrance now, we will just let more cold air into the cave and we will freeze." She nods. "We also risk another avalanche trapping us like..." she goes quiet and looks to the ground. Cadance sits on the cold dirt, her knees weak. "Are they going to be okay Anon?" she asks you, looking up into your eyes. You swallow and kneel down to her level. "I don't know. As long as they have enough resources in their tents, they should make it. I hope." She looks to the floor once more. "I should have been there. I should have been there to help them." "You were trying your best, Princess. There was nothing we could do. The storm came on too fast." She shivers and nods."I just wish I could have done more." Cadance says solemnly. You sigh and place a hand on her back."They are going to be alright." you say with as much confidence as you could muster. She doesn't reply, but simply stares into the ground. You shed your backpack and roll out the sleeping bag attached to it. "Here. Get some rest. By the time you wake up, the storm should be over and we can go see how they are doing." She looks up to you, then to the bag. "What will you sleep on?" she asks.You pull out a blanket from the back pack and lay it out. "This should be all I need." you say. She looks at it, and back to you. "Are you sure?" "Yeah. This will be fine." you answer. "If you get cold, just let me know." You look at her fur and royal wool coat, which shelters her from the cold snow. "Alright." she nods. Slowly, she moves herself into the sleeping bag and turns to you as you look through the backpack. Seven apples, a few changes of clothes and four bottles of water. As well as her gift. You hide it to the bottom of the bag, out of sight. What you first thought was over preparing, is now your life support. "Good night Anon." she says. You look at her with a smile. "We're gunna get through this. Alright?" you say with the most confidence you can muster. The edges of her mouth turn up and she nods with a mild hum as she closes her eyes. You watch her try to sleep as you go through the items in your bag one more time and watch your breath create a mild fog. There is only one mission now. She is a princess and you are a human. No matter what, she has to get out of this. Laying down on your blanket, which mildly shields you from the cold. No matter what. You close your eyes, to end the first day trapped in the cave. When you open your eyes again, Cadance sits on the sleeping bag, watching you. You groan and sit up. "Was I out long?" "I'm not sure. It's lighter out now, but the snow is still blowing hard." You try to do some quick math in your head. "So... Morning? Sometime? I think?" Cadance shrugs. The signs of her princess status have started to fade as her hair shows signs of bed head. It's... kind of homey really. Cadance eyes you hard for staring at her hair. "Hey! I don't really have the supplies to keep it perfect now do I?" The two of you share a chuckle as you pull aside your bag. "All we have is seven apples on us for food. After that-" "We will be found." she says sternly, but positively. You look up at her and smile. "Right. We will be found." Taking two apples, you hand one to her. "You know what they say about an apple a day." you state with a hint of optimism. She smiles and takes it. "Well, since we are stuck here, we might as well get to know each other." Cadance volunteers. "Right. So, I have to ask, what's it like-" "If you say to be a princess-" "To be a pony." Cadance cuts herself off as you stare at her with a sly smile. She laughs. "I'm sure you get that question a lot. The princess thing." "More than I'd like to answer, yes." she smiles, taking a bite of an apple. "Then I won't ask it. Today, you are just an ordinary pony." "Does that mean I can't ask what it's like to be a human?" she asks. You smile and shake your head. "I'm an open book. Nobody has ever really wanted to get to know me." Gulping down her bite, she takes another. "Scho. Whas it-" "I thought a -Princess- was supposed to have better manners." you tease. She gulps her bite and folds her hooves. "You just said I'm a normal pony today! I get a free pass." You laugh. "I'm only teasing. What was your question?" "So what's it like being human? What was your original home like?" You do your best to explain to Cadance what life was like back on Earth and how it was different from Equestria. At least you did a decent idea of explaining that ponies back on Earth couldn't talk or do magic. "Well, if they don't talk, or do magic, surely they fly..." Maybe not -that- great of a job. but either way, you keep up the conversation and she hangs on every word, laying belly down on the sleeping bag, lightly swinging her hind hooves in the air. Until, after a few hours, you decide it's time for your questions. "Anyway, enough about me... So, tell me what it was like to be a kid Cadance? I mean, you couldn't have been a princess for forever." Cadance looks down to her hooves and lightly fumbles with them. "Well..." You back track and raise your hands. "Hey, if it's a sensitive subject... It's okay. You don't have to share." "No. It's fine... it's just, you are first to ever really ask about -me-. I'm not really prepared to answer. Um." She says nervously. You sit criss-cross applesauce and hold your head in your hands, giving her your full attention. She smiles and stops fidgeting. "Well, I wasn't -always- an alicorn... I was a pegasus first. My parents told me that I was found in the woods one day and they took me in as their own. It was a tiny village, so everypony that was there loved and cared for each other. They really were held together like one large family. I never really felt so loved in my entire life." "That's really sweet." you say warm-heartedly. "Except one pony." she says with a down tone. Cadance looks up at you and clears her throat. "Her name was Prismia. She was a powerful enchantress and honestly, she was special, but she never left her cottage because she didn't feel the same love that everyone else felt. She was jealous of my village." Cadance goes silent, searching for the right words to say. "Then what happened?" you ask. "Well..." the young alicorn begins. "She also wore this necklace and the way I understood it, it amplified the emotions in somepony's heart. One day, the jealousy and sadness in her heart got the better of her and she cast a spell that sucked all the love from the village, my family. It seemed like only I was really unaffected." The princess of love. You can sort of see where this is going. "So I confronted Prismia to try and make her give the love back. For some reason, her necklace also affected me too." "And it amplified your love." you guess. Cadance nods. "After that... Everyone's love was returned to them and Prismia changed. She started to come into the village more and joined our family. Then, this pink light... surrounded me and I was in front of the Princess." She looks up at you seeming troubled. "She wanted to adopt me and have me as her niece. Everypony's dream right?" "What about your parents? Surely they had a say in it." "Yeah... They encouraged me. My parents thought it was the best for me." she mumbles. "So now, here I am." "What about you?" Cadance looks up at you with tired eyes. "What did you want to do?" you ask. She looks down at her hooves. "Can... um. Can we change the subject?" she asks, averting your gaze. "Right. Of course." You glance up at the small hole to the outside world and see the snow still falling heavily. With a sigh, you wrap yourself up in the blanket to keep yourself from shivering. Your eyes directly connect with Cadance's and she looks away briefly. "So... why didn't you have a tent?" You look back at her. "And don't lie this time." She snaps. "I wasn't lying." "Anon. I foalsit in my spare time. I can spot a lie." she accuses. You raise your hands in surrender. "Alright. Alright. You got me." She revels in her triumph. "Then why didn't you have a tent?" You wrap your arms around your knees. "I didn't have the money to buy one and I don't have any parents here... None of the ponies want me." In your small ball of warmth, you sigh. "None of the ponies here really like me. I'm just the weird alien. I don't fit in. They won't listen and they don't really care." Your eyes trace a few pebbles on the ground, seeing if they will connect the dots. "I care." she says softly. You look up into her eyes and neither of you look away.Instead she smiles. "We are sort of the same... Not really understood by our peers and not seen for who we are." "Yeah. I see what you mean." The two of you simply stare into each other's eyes for what seems like a century. Eventually, Cadence's eyes grow wide, realizing that you two have been locked in each other's gaze and she looks away, blushing. "Uhm. Are you cold?" she asks. "A little." you reply sheepishly. "You can sit closer to me... if you want." With a nod, you sit beside her, on top of the sleeping bag. The two of you continue to chat all into the night, about school, friends, Cadance's private studies as well as your odd jobs around Canterlot for money. When you go to sleep, there are three apples left and you didn't sleep as far away this time. In fact, the two of you slept right by each other, her in the comfort of the sleeping back and you on the blanket next to it, ending the second day trapped in the cave. When you wake up, you feel your body shivering unconsciously. "S-shit." you chatter through your teeth. You curl yourself into a ball to conserve your body heat. "It got a lot colder overnight." Cadance says. "Y-you can say that again." She levitates the backpack beside the sleeping bag and unzips it carefully. "Here. We need to use our body heat to stay warm." she says with a blush on her face." You are so cold, that you don't even think twice. Slipping inside of the sleeping bag, you fumble with the zipper and pull it closed. The warmth of the sleeping bag coats you and begins to thaw you. "Thanks. I really..." you say, looking up. That's when you notice your face merely inches from Cadance's. You both turn to your other side at the same time, back to back choking out sorry in harmony. The two of you lay beside each other in silence for hours. You both munch on an apple to quell the pains in your stomachs, leaving one left. With a heavy sigh, the atmosphere of the cave has changed. The same thought is on both of your minds. The thought of rescue not being when, but if. At least the space inside the sleeping bag was warm. Entirely thanks to Cadance. Her body and fur naturally gave off more warmth than yours. "So... um." "What?" she asks. "What are you going to do when you get out of here?" you ask her, trying to lighten the mood. Cadance lies beside you in silence, thinking to herself. "Probably call a few parents to tell why you didn't make it to babysit, huh?" you joke. She giggles. "Yeah, probably." she answers distantly. You turn to her and sit up, seeing her face hardened and stern. "What's wrong?" you ask. She lays silently and turns to you, thinking to herself. "I love going out with my friends Anon... Do you know why?" she asks you. You think to yourself and formulate a reply. "Probably because it's fun. I mean, you get to get away from the castle and be yourself." The princess nods her head. "That's mostly right, but most because for just a moment, I don't have to be a princess. I can just have fun... but even then, when we walk around Canterlot... there are ponies that will bow to me or stop me to say thank you for helping them work through something in their love life." You simply listen and nod your head. "I can't ever really get away from it, unless I leave the city... even then, ponies recognize me." she sighs. "Is that why you went on this trip? To get away from everything? You went somewhere to get away from everything and just be yourself?" Cadance nods. "Even then... some of my friends still just see me as 'The Princess'. I never can really get away from my responsibilities." She looks down, deep in thought. "The answer to your question yesterday... I never really wanted to be a princess, but when Celestia said I should... and parents told me to." The pink alicorn shakes in the sleeping bag and closes her eyes. "I didn't really have a choice. I was trapped." You wrap an arm around Cadance and she wraps her hooves around you in an embrace. "The last few days I've really been able to be myself Anon... and... and" she stumbles. "Shhhh." you whisper, rubbing her back in between her wings, "It's okay... just let it out." Her warm body shakes into yours as she sobs into her shoulder. Biting your bottom lip, you try to be strong for her. You know what it's like to be judged. For others to see you as something that you really aren't. An hour passes, with the two of you holding each other. "Anon." "Yeah,” you reply. "I know you've had a crush on me for a long time." Your throat swells and you close your eyes. Of course. Great job Anon. Completely nailed it. That's when she moves her face from your shoulder and pushes your forehead to hers. You open your eyes, looking into her deep violet pools. "I've... always kind of liked you too... but I didn't know how to express it. Some Princess of love, huh?" she whispers. You smile and press your lips to hers. The two of you close your eyes, holding each other closely. Your lips may be cold, but the sensation of her lips on yours spreads a warmth throughout your body that makes you feel alive. Carefully, your tongue slips into her mouth and the two of you begin to dance. Moving your hand up to the back of her head, you can feel her heart beat through her fur. It could be yours, but your heart tells you to believe that it's hers. After a moment to last a lifetime, you break the kiss and look into each others eyes, with a smile. You laugh to yourself, which makes the filly beside you giggle. "Whaat?" she asks. "I just think it's funny." "What's funny." "I was going to ask you out on this trip." She buries her face into your chest. "Oh I would have loved that..." she says. "Tell me, what were you going to do?" You run your hand through her mane, which despite several days without care, is still in decent shape. Goes to show what high class hair products do in Equestria. "Well, I was going to wait until we got to the very top..." She lightly gasps. "Oh... how romantic..." Cadance teases. "Would you get on one hoof and everything?" "Hey you. This is my story." you reply with a laugh. "Okay. Okay..." "So, we'd get to the top of the mountain... and I would come up to you, hopefully when your friends weren't around I guess." "Good luck with that." she interjects with a giggle. "Those girls -never- leave me alone." "Yeah. Tell me about it." "That's why I broke away to talk to you... I didn't really care what they thought... I just wanted to know what you were thinking." You look down into her eyes and absorb her adorable smile. "Then I'd say I got you something." Cadance looks up at you questioningly. "How do you think you would respond?" you say teasingly. "Umm. I'd be a little shocked, but curious. Probably a bit speechless. What would you do?" You pull the backpack over and reach inside. "Well, I'd dig into my backpack... and pull out a small box." She lightly knocks her hoof against you. "Anon... you should have used this money to get yourself something to sleep in... not-" "And open it..." you finish. Pulling a small box out of your backpack, you open it up in front of her, revealing two blue ribbons, each made from the most fancy sounding fabric you could find in Canterlot, made by some fashonista who's name you couldn't properly pronounce. Cadance puts a hoof to her mouth. "Anon..." "I know it's not much... at all really... but they are hair ribbons... one for a ponytail and one for... well your tail." You take one and wrap it around her mane behind her head and tie it into a neat bow. “There... if only we had a mirror..." "It's beautiful." "Well it's no tiara-" She places a hoof on your lips. "It's better than a tiara." Cadance presses her lips against yours and your dance resumes it's slow waltz. After a moment, the two of you look at the hole again, growing darker by the minute. "Anon... it's getting dark..." "Oh. Here." You reach back and give Cadance the last apple. She looks up at you and shakes your head. "No. We should share it." "No. I want you to have it. No buts." you say, pushing it towards her. Cadance needs it more than you do. She takes it and takes a bite. "That's the first thing I'm doing when I'm getting out. I'm giving you an apple. That's a promise." she says. "I'll hold you to that." you answer with a smile. After she finishes, she looks up into your eyes. "Anon..." she whispers. "Yeah?" "They aren't going to find us... are they?" You go silent, unsure of how to answer truthfully. She pulls herself closer to you and kisses your neck. "I don't... I don't want to go without knowing what love feels like." she whispers. You nod and place your lips on hers. The kissing resumes, but this time the dance is different. The slow delicate waltz has changed it's pace and has became more passionate. Cadance makes light, gentle moans into your mouth as the smacking of lips echoes through the cave. Your hands move to her wings, which are confined by the sleeping bag. Gently you massage the base of the wing and move your way out to the edges, making the pink alicorn gasp and moan. The kissing never stops, but becomes more in sync as you feel on of her hind legs wrap around your body. Your soldier protests against your jeans and juts against Cadance's body.As you continue to rub her wings, she moves a hoof down to rub the crotch of your pants. The vibrations of the cloth on your sensitive skin excites you and helps you to extend yourself. "Rub my wings harder." she pleads. You happily oblige and rub her wings more vigorously. Cadance's body begins to gyrate against yours, eager with anticipation and desire. Her moans become more pronounced as she says your name. "Oh Anon... Mmm. I like that..." You bite your bottom lip, trying to savor the moment as the two of you give each other your love; your first time. Cadance moves her hooves down to your pants and tries to unbutton them, but her hooves continue to fidget and falter with the button. She breaks the kiss and tries to look down at the button. "I got it... I swear." You lightly laugh to yourself. "Here." you say quietly. You reach down and swiftly remove your shoes, pants and underwear. "Better?" you say seductively. "Mhm." Cadance answers with content. A hoof reaches down and rubs your shaft."Mmmm. Bigger than I imagined..." she says with a giggle. You raise your eyebrows at her and press your lips back against hers. Her hoof works its way up and down your shaft as your tongues return to their harmony. A light gasp escapes your lips as she rubs your crown and wipes a light dribble of pre-cum off of your tip. She brings her hoof up to her lips and tastes it. "Mmmm. Someone knows to eat fruits." she teases. Desire begins to overwhelm you as you move your body over hers. You grab the other ribbon from the box and go diving down the sleeping bag, kissing down her underside as you make your way to your destination. As you pass her teats, you run your tongue along them and lightly suckle them. Cadance gasps and bites her bottom lip, closing her eyes. You wrap the blue ribbon around her tail and tie another neat bow around it. Now it can't get in the way. Every fiber in your body urges you to put yourself inside her and make her scream, but you know better than to do that. Plus, your curiosity overwhelms you. You treat this night, as if it were your last on Equestria. Tracing with your tongue, you move your way down to her marehood. Cadence's pink winking button pokes it's way out at you. With a well timed rhythm, you lick her most sensitive place. Her hooves dig into the cave floor as she gasps for air and groans into the frigid air. "A-Anon! O-oh... Oh my..." Slowly you circle your tongue across her entrance, teasing her in an attempt to send her into spiraling waves of pleasure. Your tongue pokes itself into her flower and Cadance lets out a light grunt. Her aroma and taste send your mind over the edge as you dig your tongue deeper to get a better helping of her delicious honey pot. Cadence's hind legs wrap around your head and you smile knowing you are doing a good job. Pulling your tongue out, your make a few more traces of her delicate bead before she speaks. "Anon... take me... please." she begs. You pull yourself up and face level with her, knowing your member is aligned perfectly. "Hey." She looks up into your eyes. Your heart finds the words that you've always wanted to say "I love you Cadance." She smiles and wraps her front hooves around you. "I love you Anon." "I'll be gentle." "I know." she says weakly. You rub your member around her entrance and gently push it in. Cadance bites her bottom lip as you enter her. Right as you get about half way in, you feel it. She looks up at you, knowing that if she does this... she isn't the perfect princess anymore. Many princes won't want her anymore. But it doesn't matter to her. Cadance found her prince. "Go ahead... I'm ready." You nod and push deeper. Just a little resistance and then nothing. Cadance's eyes close quickly and her face scrunches. "We don't have to keep going babe." "No. I want to. Just... go slow." With as much care as you can, you push yourself in and out of her. Her sex presses hard against your staff, sending waves of pleasure all the way to the tips of your toes. Holding yourself back, you thrust inside of her and a smile crawls across her lips. "O-okay. Maybe more..." Who are you to deny her? You put more into each thrust and increase your speed. Her breath begins to become ragged and the air fogs with each exhale. You press one of your hands on the back of her head and you place your lips on hers. The cave echoes with moans and the clap of colliding bodies. Your other hand makes its way to her wing and begins to massage her base vigorously. Her moans can no longer be contained as she screams openly into the cave. The sounds turn off the safety on your weapon, as you push yourself inside of her without restraint. Her body presses herself onto you, making each push more intense than the last. Finally, she can't bear it anymore. "Anon... I'm going to... I'm going to..." "Me too..." "Do it inside... please... I need you Anon..." "Alright," you gasp. "I love you Cadance!~" "I love you too Anon!~" she pants. Your body takes over as your mind is blinded by lust. Her sex spasms and squeezes tight around you and sends you over the edge, shooting your juices deep inside of her. Cadance's body continues to milk you for your juices as drips of sweat fall from your body and onto her silky coat. You press your lips against hers again and the two of you lightly giggle. "That... was amazing." "Yeah. It was..." you pant, your energy spent. "I'll never forget that... ever." "Me either. That was one of the greatest things..." You can't finish your sentence, rendered speechless by the passion of the moment. Pulling yourself off of her you lay beside her as she backs up into you. As the two of you spoon, you wrap your arms around her. That's when you know what you are going to do, the first thing after you get out of this cave. "I love you babe." "I love you too Anon." "You should get some sleep... I think tomorrow is going to be a big day." Cadance nods."Alright... Goodnight my love." You kiss your alicorn girlfriend on the cheek. "Goodnight." > Ending: Sacrifice > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- You wake up with a warmth surrounding you. Opening your eyes, you look around what is easily identified as a hospital room. "Where am I" you ask groggily. You try to sit up, but pain overwhelms you. The bed provides a soft pillow for your weak muscles. "You were in the cold for too long and your body was badly injured by the extreme temperatures. You need to take your time to rest." Looking around the room, you see a bed beside you, but it lies empty. You panic. Why is it empty? It shouldn't be empty! The clock on the wall ticks by slowly as Celestia stands by the side of your bed. "Where's Anon!" you scream at your teacher. You have to let her live. She has so much to live for. You watch her closely and hold her in your arms until you are sure she has fallen into deep sleep. With tears in your eyes, you kiss her forehead and squeeze her tight. You carefully slip out of the sleeping bag and cover her in your blanket. Approaching the opening to the cave, you look outside which has became still. There isn't going to be a better time Anon. You set the last apple by the sleeping bag and begin to scoop the snow with the backpack. The pile behind you slowly gains size as you begin to create the exit from the cave. Snow on your hands melts and quickly you lose the feeling in your fingers. You push on as hard as you can in the middle of the night. Staying focused, you remember the feeling of her in your arms, pushing you to keep going. Her voice echoes in your mind. "I love you Anon." You ignore the pain in your muscles as you continue to scoop the snow from the entrance. After what feels like hours, The hole from the roof of the cave's mouth becomes larger and larger. The entirety of your body feels numb, but you force yourself to continue. For her. Stopping for a moment to catch your breath, you look down at your hands, which have turned dark purple. Almost there. You can't stop now. One more scoop. One more shovel. One more time. And it's done. The hole is just big enough for you to get out. Which means it's more than big enough for any pony to get in. You slip out of the hole, watching the sun rise over the horizon. Stumbling around the corner, you see the camp, which is being buried out by grey guards using magic. Opening your mouth to yell for help, your voice seizes up and you feel your knees begin to lock up. They have to find her. You take a weak step forward. And another. They have to find her. Your eyes feel heavier and heavier. Pain overwhelms the numbness, but you can't stop. You have to save her. Your Cadance. As you near the camp, a guard sees you and gallops to you. "You! The human! Where is the princess!" You collapse to your knees, your clothes soaked in sweat and body gasping for air. It takes everything in your power to point in the direction of the cave. "The tracks. Quick! There is no time!" he says, galloping along your prints in the snow. Your hearing gives out, replaced with a loud hum. As the rest of your body falls into the snow, you smile. You open your mouth and breathe your last. If you ask one of the guards at the scene that day, they would say if Anon didn't come from the cave, they never would have found the Princess. Pain surges through your whole body as you feel every part of you shake. Tears flow from your eyes and down your face, staining your hospital garb. You lay in bed, curled into a ball, remembering his warm body holding you like a delicate flower, but firmly so you couldn't get away. Which was silly. You weren't going to go anywhere However, you should have been scared of him letting you go. Celestia places a hoof on your back and gently massages, in support. Reaching a hoof back, you feel the blue ribbon, tying your hair into a ponytail. At least you still have those. Something. Something to prove that he was real. He had no home. No family. No friends. No pictures. He's just... gone. Except for these ribbons, and you will never forget your Anon. You will always wear his ribbons. The beautiful shade of blue, which matched your cutie mark. Anon, your crystal heart. No, your frozen heart. After a few weeks of physical therapy, you were released from the hospital in prime condition. Except there was one thing they couldn't fix. Your heart burned in pain and he has been in your dreams every night. One night, Luna came to you, concerned. Advising you to let go. But you refused. Someone has to remember him. Your Anon. Ascending the mountain path on a much more beautiful day was a challenging task for you. You kept looking out at the landscape and remembering how it was something that he valued so much. Anon wasn't afraid to stop and appreciate the smaller things in life. You continue on to the cave after you found the area that everypony else camped out. The guards were able to find everypony in time to get them to the hospital, and the tents helped them stay warmer in the cave. It was simply lucky that the unicorns in the tents were able to reinforce the tents for the impact. They also had much more supplies than you and Anon. Shaking your head, you stop when you reach the entrance of the cave, accented by a newly carved stone headstone, just at the entrance of the cave. Tears come to your eyes as you look inside and remember the days and nights you spent with each other. The short time that he held you. You lay on the ground and sob. "You should have let me help you..." you whisper to the ground. "Now what am I supposed to do?" The world stops for a moment, letting you simply weep over Anon's final resting place. In your mind, it would have been better if you went together. Those few days and nights in the cave, you may have been trapped in the snow, but for the first time... you finally felt free. Free to make your own choices and to be yourself. No longer held to somepony's expectations or have ponies only see you for the Princess exterior. You didn't just lose your lover, you lost the only person who really understood you. When the tears stop and you can to breath normally, you reach into your saddle bag and pull out the first thing you brought. A shiny, fresh apple. Setting it right beside the headstone, you sniffle and blink a tear out of your eye. "A promise is a promise." you mutter as you reach for the last item. Carefully, you pull out a potted plant, which is just beginning to sprout. You learned about the plant from your books. It's a fairly rare plant, but Celestia obliged in getting one for you. You dig a small hole with a hand held spade and move the plant from the pot to the hole. With a smile, you press the dirt into the earth. The plant is called, The Lover's Bloom. It used to be frequently used in wedding ceremonies in early Equestria, but they quickly became hard to find, so the public stopped using them. The flower's petals were also a very strong ingredient used for Love Potions, which was how you discovered them. What made the flower of the Lover's Bloom stick out in your mind, was the color of it's petals. They were a vivid light blue. The same color as your cutie mark. The same color as your ribbons. Gently, in the mid-afternoon sun, you lay down next to the grave and watch the settling dirt. You will have to head back to the castle soon. But not now. Not until you are ready. Right now, on this mountain, outside of this cave, in this very moment. You feel free. No longer trapped by the life of a Princess. With your Anon. > Ending: Promise > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you open your eyes, your senses are immediately graced she smell of fresh lavender. Your fingers run through a soft, warm, gentle fur. Her mane rests gently in front of you, tossed and disheveled, but still radiating the familiar calming scent. You bury your face in her hair to get a better whiff. The very smell warms your heart and gives you hope of better times to come. Sitting up to look at her face, she hasn't woken up yet. Her calm, serene face rests quietly, with a permanent smile affixed to her lips. You wonder what she's dreaming about. Could it be her old village? Could it be about what she does when she gets out of this cave? Could it be about you? Your cheeks feel warm, and not from the frigid cold that you've been exposed to in the frozen cave. Speaking of frozen, you look up to the hole at the cave mouth. The snow outside has completely stopped and a light blue sky is the only thing visible from the tiny entrance. A smile curls on your lips. It's finally time to go. Looking back down at your winged angel, you wonder if this has all been some sort of wonderful dream that you would wake up from. Something that when you wake up tomorrow, would never have happened. You place a hand on her cheek and gently caress it. "Hey," You gently whisper. "Babe." Her head moves slightly and her eyes shut a little tighter. She grumbles and snuggles her back into you closer. "Five more minutes." Lightly pulling the sleeping bag over her face, you feel her wings pressing into you. "Alright then," You answer, leaning down and pressing your lips to her cheek. Laying back down and wrapping a hand around her once more, you reach a hand up to scratch behind her ear. "Mmmm," she mumbles. "Where did you learn this?" You chuckle to yourself. "Just a hunch I guess. Call it something I learned back on Earth." She smiles through parted lips and pushes her head into your hand. "Well... if you keep having these hunches, I think I'll keep you." "I wouldn't mind that." "Well good. Consider you adopted." With a light laugh, it only makes you wonder what she was like as a Princess. Was she able to joke like this? She seems so, relaxed. "The snow stopped," You say casually. Cadance freezes and slowly turns to you. She looks up at the hole and sees the blue sky for herself. "It did," She says with a hint of surprise. The alicorn looks at you pensively. "Hey... what's that look for?" you ask. She bites her bottom lip and wraps her hooves around you. "I'm... a little scared." "Why's that?" you ask, holding her close. "I-i don't know how everypony will react to... us." "I'm sure it will be fine Cadance." you answer, gently caressing her mane. "I just don't want it to change what we have..." she says with a hint of fear. Placing your hand under her chin, you bring her eyes up to meet yours. "I've got bad news for you," You say in mock disappointment. " You are stuck with me." She smiles and holds you tighter. "I love you Anon." "And I love you Cadance." "Let's see if we can try to get the others out." "Sounds like a plan to me." The two of you emerge from the sleeping bag and a new form of cold overwhelms you, as all of your clothes have been drenched in sweat. Cadance snickers as she investigates the snow blocking the entrance to the cave. Quickly changing into the spare clothes you brought for the trip, you empty out the back pack and approach the cave mouth. As you scoop your backpack full of snow, Cadance looks at you curiously. "What are you doing?" she asks curiously. You look down at the bag, then back to the princess. "Scooping the snow. We gotta get out of here right?" Cadance's horn lights up, taking the backpack in your hands and levitates it in front of you. "Oh. Right. Magic. I knew that." She shakes her head and takes a few steps away from the snow. Her horn glows intensely with a bright, light blue magic. It erupts forward from the tip of her horn and begins to push the snow away from the cave and off of the mountain side. After a few minutes, the cave mouth is clear, and a light sweat developed on Cadance's brow as she tries to catch her breath. "Wow. Well that was easy." "Easy for you to say," She replies. "You didn't have to do the spell." Stepping outside of the cave, you stretch and look out at the white snow-covered landscape. Cadance moves by your side and you place a hand on her back. Lightly dusted trees dot the landscape and glisten in the morning glow of Celestia's sun. Frozen ponds sparkle in the rays of the early day and accentuates the majesty of the hilltop city of Canterlot in the distance. "It's... beautiful." She whispers under her breath. "Yeah." You answer. "You are." She lightly hits you with her hoof, and you smile. Turning your gaze to the task at hand, you step through the thick snow along the path to the camp grounds. As you grow nearer, you can hear the voices of the others calling out into the air. "Princess!" "Where are you Princess!" "Princess are you okay?!" As you round the corner to the camp sight. A few stallions instantly spot you. "HEY! IT'S ANON!" They gallop at you with anger in their eyes. Taking a step away from the edge of the mountain, they leap on you, making your head collide with a rock and freezing snow finds its way down your shirt. As you try to blink the stars away, the colts yell at you, as one places a hoof on your chest, pinning you. "Where did you take the Princess!" "What did you do to her!" You try to push them off of you. "She's fine. Let me go," you plead as the back of your head feels warm and damp. "Where is she!" A colt yells, pressing a hoof harder on your chest and leaning his face into yours. "Let him go." Cadance commands the colts. The young stallions look to the Princess and instantly release their grip on you. You sit up, placing a hand on the back of your head where the rock collided. Blinking heavily and trying to not let the pain overwhelm you, you try to get to your feet. "Princess, we were so worried!" A male pegasus says, approaching her. "Are you okay? Did he hurt-" "Anon, you're bleeding," Cadance says worriedly, trotting up to you, ignoring the stallions that were previously ready to pulverize you. Pulling your hand away, you see a some blood on your hands, but nothing life threatening. It'll probably just suck for a few days. "I'm sure it's no big deal." "We should have you checked out by a doctor," She states. Cadance turns to the rest of the group and raises her voice. "It's time to head back everyone. Gather your things and be ready to go." The walk back was full of tension and rumbling stomachs, as well as a bit of confusion. Confusion why the human was walking side by side with you. Why you let him place his hand on your back. Why you were smiling so widely. A few of the stallions follow along at the back of the group. Some with defeated faces. Some angered and wondering how -you- could choose him. Yet, you pay them no mind. The only thing that matters right now is walking directly beside you and is talking about how he can't wait to get some real food in his stomach. As you listen intently, you can only attempt to wonder. Where does he sleep? How often does he eat? Does he really have nobody else in is life to care for him? When you get back to the castle, Celestia is going to royally freak out. Probably not as bad as when you ask her the question, but that will have to come with time. A small troop of guards intercepted your group on the way back and brought you back to Canterlot in carriages. They were sent to find you and your friends. You asked specially if Anon could stay in your carriage. They all looked to each other and shrugged. You and Anon sat side-by-side in the carriage, cuddled up to each other. The warm thoughts of being huddled together in the cave stay fresh in your mind and you fall asleep in his arms on the way back. "We're here Cadance." His warm voice shakes you from your slumber and you rub your eyes. "Where are we?" "The castle. They want you to see Celestia after you get cleaned up." A lump swells in the back of your throat. "Right." Sitting up, you check your mouth to make sure you didn't drool on him. Dry lips. Nailed it. Getting to your hooves, you step out of the carriage and Anon follows you. "Excuse me... sir," You call out to a guard. He turns his head to you and gives you his full attention. "Yes, your highness." "Where did they take the others?" You ask. "The other members of your party are currently being returned home to their families, your highness" he states. "Perfect. Thank you." Anon turns to you, visibly uncomfortable around the royal setting. "Hey. Um. I can go if you want me to. I mean-" "Oh. Also, please see that Anon here is sent to the infirmary for a injury on the back of his head and that he has something nice to wear to be in the presence of the Princess." Anon's eyes grow wide and looks to you. You smile and wink at him. "At once your highness. Sir, would you please follow me?" Anon nods, then looks back at you and mouths "What are you doing!" He will just have to see. It's not going to be easy to do what you wanted to do, but Anon got you thinking. About this castle, about being a princess. Stepping inside, you absorb all of its grandeur and follow the well practiced path to your quarters. Normally, your posture was pristine, your hoofsteps calculated and rhythmic, but today you walk though as if you were a guest in your own home. You wonder to yourself how you've never really taken the time to really appreciate it's beauty. Maids and personal-caretakers instantly spot you and hurry you off to your room, where they have already began to run warm water for a bath. "Oh my dear, your hair is a mess!" "Are you hurt anywhere? Any bumps or bruises?" "Celestia was worried sick! I've never seen her that concerned before." "I'm fine. Thank you everypony." "We can't keep the Princess waiting, hurry hurry now dear," One of the maids urges you, shoving you into your room. The doors close behind you, leaving you alone in the marble floored room, kept clean and pristine by the various castle staff. You look around your room, almost as if you have never been inside it before. The over-sized bed, with the softest sheets that bits could by, adorned with a golden headboard, didn't seem like it should belong to you. The light blue flowers that sit in various vases, gifts from worried citizens, don't seem like they should be for you. You stroll, pensive, to the warm bath filled with various relaxing salts and bubbles from exotic soaps, wondering if this should really be -your- life. The ornately tiled bathroom is filled with steam as you approach the water. Taking off the ribbons that you cherish now, more than the tiara you were given on coronation day, you wonder what you should do. Stepping into the bath, you feel your fur gently being massaged of all of the impurities, sweat and dirt that has a accumulated over the last few days. As great as the sensation feels, this isn't what you want. The lump in the back of your throat swells. Your mind is made up. The keepers comb your hair carefully and brush your fur as best as you can. They ask you all sorts of questions about the trip. "Who is this Anon?" "Where you okay?" "What happened?" "Was it scary?" Each of which you did your best to answer with as quick of answer as possible. "A new friend." "Yes, I was fine." "I was trapped in a cave." "Terrifying." Each answer only served to create more questions that your answers could not satisfy. Finally, after they have you cleaned up, you ask them to place the ribbons in your hair. They ask eagerly what sort of special braid you want it in or some form of complex knot. "Just a bow. Please. Nothing special," You ask. With confusion, they oblige. You can see the desire in their eyes. How they wish they could be in your shoes. The young princess. Capable of having anything she wants, should she only say the word. Once the bows are complete, you turn to one of the maids. "Where is Anon?" "He's waiting outside of the Princess's private study for you. That's where the Princess would like to speak with you." You leap from their grasp and gallop to Celesia's private study. She only requested you there when something was serious. Like the time that you sneaked out to a play with friends and caused a city-wide lock down. It was a nice play though. Maybe not nice enough for the scolding you got for it. As you approach the quarters, you find the door open, a rarity for this room. You also hear... laughter? Walking in the doorway, you find Anonymous, dressed in what seems to be a suit adapted for a human, entirely black and with a neat red tie wrapped in a full-windsor knot. He stands beside Celestia as she points to a book on her desk. "These two are her parents at her coronation day. They were so proud. I let them stay at the castle for a month so they could make sure she would be alright here." "Wow. What about this one?" Anon asks, pointing to another point on the book. A new lump swells in your throat. "Please tell me that isn't the picture album," You ask fearfully. Celestia looks up with a gentle smile and closes the book in front of her. "Cadance, so kind of you to join us. I was just showing your friend here some of your old pictures." You place a hoof on your forehead and step inside, a sudden headache plaguing you. "Please tell me you didn't show the cutie mark pictures." "Oh, we didn't get -there- yet... but I'm sure Anon would be interested in hearing the tale." "Sure, maybe some-" "NO!" You exclaim, flustered and your face red. Celestia and Anon both laugh. "Shut the door Cadance," The Princess asks. "I feel that we have much to discuss." With your magic, you close the door and sit down in a chair in front of the Princess and Anon sits in a different next to you. "I like the new ribbons," Celestia comments. "They are very homey. Elegant in their simplicity." "Thanks," You comment. Looking to Anon. "A gift from your coltfriend I presume?" Celestia asks with a hint of gossip in her tone. You and Anon both look to the Princess with mild shock. "I was young once too you know," The Princess smiles. "It wasn't really that hard to work out." You blush and look away from Celestia. "However, although you are back in the castle, I feel that you aren't truly back with us. I've noticed you've been troubled for quite some time. What ails you Cadance?" Celestia asks with concern. You look up to her, then back to Anon, and return your gaze to Celestia. "I don't want to be a Princess anymore." The room is silent, not from surprise, but the expectation of more. "I just. I don't like how ponies treat me differently. I just want to be normal. Have a normal life and enjoy everything for a while. Stop and smell the roses. Do you know what you mean?" Princess Celestia nods. "I understand." "So you aren't disappointed?" You ask hopefully. "Of course not Cadance," She says reassuringly. Letting out a deep breath, you smile and look to Anon, who grabs your hoof and smiles back. "However, there is no way to reverse a coronation." Celestia says disappointedly. Your gut drops and the room suddenly feels as cold as a blizzard. The confined study and pressures of royalty crash down on you once more. The moment that you thought you were free, you are trapped in a cage. "Then, what can I do?" You ask in some attempt to find another way out of this cage. Celestia looks to you with a smile. "I think you should go home. Go home to your family, to your village. Enjoy your time while you are there. Live your life the way you want to and make your family proud." she says happily. You nod along to her. "Then, come back when you are ready, and only when you are ready." Celestia adds. Raising to your hooves, excitement fills your soul. "Really? You really mean it?" You ask. "Yes. I do. I know that you want your independence at your age, so I think that you should be able to live your life the way that you want to. After careful thought, this is what I feel is the best solution." Tears well in your eyes, as you have to do everything in your power to keep yourself from jumping up and down. "I'll arrange for a group of guards to escort you back to your village with Anon by your side. Would you like for me to inform your family?" You think for a moment, and shake your head. "No, I think I will make it a surprise." Celestia smiles and nods. "Then we will begin preparations at once." Celestia smiles. You turn to Anon. "I can't wait for you to meet my family!" you squeal. "I can't wait." Anon says nervously. "Then I won't keep you two from having fun. Off you lovebirds." Celestia urges. Anon rises to his feet. "Anon. Could you leave the Princess and I alone for just a moment?" you ask. "Yeah. Erm. I mean, yes. Of course," He says, correcting his informal language in front of the Princess. Anon strolls across the room and steps outside. "He seems like a fine young gentlecolt" Celestia mentions. You turn to her, mildly shocked. Celestia smiles. "Does he make you laugh?" She asks. You nod with a smile and a blush that shows clearly through your pink fur. "Then you better hold on to that one tight." Swiftly, you cross around Celestia's desk and wrap her into a tight hug. The princess wraps a hoof around you and pulls you in close. "Thank you auntie Celestia," You say, trying not to choke on tears of joy. "Of course, my little one," She answers in a motherly tone. "I can't promise... if I'll come back," You reply. "I am well aware. My doors will always be open to you, as a Princess and as your aunt." Celestia answers reassuringly. You hug her tightly, knowing that this could be one of the last times you see her. "Thank you," You whisper. Breaking the hug, you walk slowly to the door of the study and take another look at the ruler of Equestria, who nods at you with a smile. A nod ushering you outside to your love, and in that moment, you feel free. No longer trapped by the life of a Princess. A new chance to live a whole new life, with your Anon.