A poor-as-dirt orphan filly who can't speak a lick of English comes to Canterlot. She eventually rules an entire empire.
Some people say that Princess Cadance has had it easy her whole life; But they don't know Cadenza's story.
Cadenza grew up in the hidden village of Altomarete, where they spoke the old language of the Crystal Empire and worshiped Canterlot's princess as a sun goddess.
Of course, now that she's living in the Canterlot Castle, where everypony speaks English and the princess is her aunt, she's bound to face some growing pains -as well as some wounds that never quite closed- as she gets comfortable with her new position.
She may have been born a pegasus, but right now, Cadenza -Princess Mi Amore Cadenza- was terrified of heights. The time it took for them to touch ground in Canterlot was one of those five minute periods that felt like a thousand years, and Cadenza could not have been more relieved to get out of the golden chariot.
The sun goddess -who she just learned was actually named Princess Celestia- spoke to her again, waving her hoof in front of her. “This is your new hometown, the city of Canterlot. I know it may be a big change from Altomarete, but I’m sure you’ll like it once you get used to the changes. Come with me, I’ve already have a room prepared for you.” She smiled one of her signature all-knowing smiles, and Cadenza, not sure whether to attempt responding or not, simply smiled back as they walked up the stairs.
You see, when you grew up in a village that mainly spoke the otherwise dead language of the ancient Crystal Empire, your English was bound to be less than perfect.
Celestia opened the door with her magic, revealing a bedroom on the other side. Cadenza’s smile grew five times wider at the sight of it. It was just like the ones from the fairy tales she’d read in the village, with it’s long purple curtains and plush canopy bed right in the center. Just last night she had been sleeping in a bed that was barely big enough to fit her, and, by some miracle, she’d be sleeping in an actual palace tonight. In the exact same palace that her village’s sun goddess slept in.
Now that she had the time to process the day’s earlier events, although it had been jam packed with important events and life milestones, the whole day was absolutely perfect, in its own kind of strange way; Never in her life would she have dreamed that she’d get her Cutie Mark by talking down a sorceress, and then become an alicorn princess who got sent off to go live with the sun goddess in the royal city on the hills. And apparently, the sun goddess had decided to adopt her as a niece, which only served to make her royalty feel ironically less real.
Cadenza mumbled and stuttered under her breath, trying in vain to hide her thick accent and replace it with the one she heard the princess and the guard pony using earlier when the chariot first arrived. “T-thank you.”
“Cadenza?” Upon hearing her name, the pink pegasus snapped back to reality. “These are your personal serving staff, Mirror Gleam and Chamomile. They can give you anything you might need.” Celestia smiled at her staff, who waved to Cadenza with clearly honeyed smiles until Celestia had left the room and walked down the hallway.
Cadenza looked at the two with wide eyes, one a silver unicorn stallion and the other a light green pegasus mare. She finally let out an actual grin. She had probably worked up the nerve to try speaking some English now; After all, since her only audience was her serving staff, and Princess Celestia herself said they were here to help her with anything she needed, how bad could it turn out to be, right?
The first lesson she’d learn in Canterlot was to never tempt fate.
“H-hola. Mi chamo es-” (H-hello, my name is-) Mirror Gleam stopped her then, reaching a hoof only a second away from her face.
“You mean to tell me that you’re going to be an actual princess someday? You mean, like, somepony who watches over an entire nation?” Cadenza didn’t nod nor did she shake her head, as not even she knew the answer to that question.
“She can’t even speak English! Heck, from the sounds of it, it’s like she can barely speak at all!”
Cadenza waited, hopeful that a friendly-looking mare like Chamomile would stand up for her. That was the second lesson Cadenza would learn here; You can’t trust somepony else based on looks alone.
Chamomile joked with Mirror Gleam, nudging him gently in the shoulder. “Hey, maybe her kingdom’s gonna be on the Marexican border!”
Cadenza had only been living in Canterlot for about an hour, and she already wanted to run back to her village and cry in her bedroom. It didn’t matter that she was a princess now, and that she probably had royal studies to attend to. Then, all of a sudden, something in her mind clicked; These were supposed to be her personal serving staff, so, technically, she could send them away whenever she wanted, right? Being ninety-nine percent sure that her theory was correct, she decided to test it, and she could do that with a simple motion of her hoof, no English required; She pointed towards the door, then nudged it open slightly with a push of her light blue magic.
“What’re you pointing at?” It was at this point her eyes focused into a glare, and she pointed her hoof towards the door again, this time making her movements sharper and more urgent-feeling.
“Oh, so you want us to leave?” She nodded, happy to have finally gotten her point across. “Alright, alright. You could’ve just said that, drama queen.” Chamomile rolled her eyes, but Cadenza didn’t care, now that she finally had the room to herself; Having the room to herself meant having some room to breathe and collect herself, which is exactly what she desperately needed right now.
Looking in the small saddlebag she had chosen to take with her to Canterlot, she took out a book; The History of the Crystal Empire. She still didn’t know why she’d decided to check out this book in the first place, and it was probably long overdue by this point, but the empire’s history had interested her; Nevermind the fact that it was all they learned about in school, but she still wanted to know more. The book had the same effect on her that fantasy novels had on the other fillies and colts in her village. She’d get lost in her visions of the kingdom of jewels, unable to pry herself away.
She took one final glance at the afternoon sun as she began reading the first chapter, this one being on the founding of the Crystal Empire, knowing that she probably wouldn’t be able to escape the pages of the book until sundown.
She was right on target with her prediction, as she had just reached chapter three by the time she noticed the lavender and coral shades outside her window. She trotted over to her window, got on her knees and said a prayer to the sun goddess, and was just about to continue reading when said sun goddess knocked on her door. She probably would’ve frozen in place if she hadn’t remembered her current situation. “Cadenza? Would you like to join me for dinner? It won’t be anything fancy, just the two of us.”
Instead of the dining hall, Cadenza was lead up to Celestia’s bedroom, where a small table sat in the corner. It was the perfect size for just the two of them, but she could tell that it hadn’t been used for a while. Still, she didn’t want to do anything rude, so she just sat down. Almost immediately, their dinner for that night, a plate of apple salad, appeared in front of them. “Are you liking it here so far, Cadenza?”
She faked a smile at first, but she also didn’t want to lie to the princess. After a brief second of silence, Cadenza spoke, not even bothering with trying to hide her mother tongue anymore. “Ti manca mi casa.” (I miss my home.)
Celestia looked at her niece sympathetically. She knew that she’d pretty much been left alone since they got here, so maybe making some friends would help her get more accustomed to Canterlot? She readied a basic illusion, conjuring an image of a schoolhouse and a question mark. “Cadenza, when do you think you’ll be ready to start school again?”
“À prima possibile.” (At the first possibility.)
Celestia was surprised at this; From the idea she’d gotten of most fillies and colts her age, they would rather delay it for as late as possible, if given the chance. Then again, as Celestia had noticed throughout the day, Cadenza wasn’t your average teenage mare. The image that Celestia conjured up changed to a calendar labeled with the number two. “It may take about two days or so, but you’ll be in school soon, okay?”
“Gracia.” (Thank you.)
After they had finished eating and Cadenza had gone back to her bedroom, all she could think of was school. Hopefully, the students of Canterlot would spare her some mercy, and her first impressions of the citizens were simply starting off on the wrong hoof and not a sign of things to come.
For the next two days, just like the princess had told her to, Cadenza waited patiently. She was definitely looking forward to school, craving the social interaction that came with it. She’d spent most of her two days cooped up in her room, doing anything to avoid another encounter with her serving staff. As she was a princess that depended on the emotions of others to stay healthy, this had definitely been a bad idea.
On her first day of school, she’d gotten up while the moon was still high in the sky, preparing her hair in her bright blue ribbons. She had already gathered everything she thought she needed for the day, looking in her saddlebag again to see exactly what she thought she had; a pack of fresh quills and a few blank notebooks. Luckily, somepony had gone out shopping and got her a bigger one, so she was also able to fit her book in there as well.
She waited in her room for hours for the sun to come up, saying a prayer to the sun goddess just before she left her chamber for the morning. She had been up preparing for school since at least 5 that morning, and yet she hurried through that morning’s breakfast as if she was already late. She hadn’t meant to do that, of course, but she couldn’t help her excitement.
Celestia called out after her just before she left. “Cadenza, do you remember where you’re supposed to be going?”
“It is the Academy of Canterlot, no?” Celestia, now feeling a renewed sense of confidence in her niece, smiled and nodded, Cadance turning back to look at her once more before she began her walk to school.
Over the past two days, ever since that incident with Mirror Gleam and Chamomile, she’d been learning English with the princess, and, according to Celestia, she had actually been making some astounding progress, though Cadenza was sure that the princess was just trying to give her some encouragement. Sure, her English wasn’t going to get her awards any time soon, but it was enough to get by.
Cadenza soon took her first steps outside of the palace gates since she'd arrived in Canterlot, her eyes going wide as she admired the view. Even outside of the palace, the city itself was stunningly beautiful, with shades of purple, gold, and white everywhere she looked. As she took a look at her surroundings, she realized that she had no idea where the academy actually was. She had planned to turn back, when out of the corner of her eye she noticed a white stallion, who looked to be about her age, carrying a saddlebag. She walked over to him and attempted to follow his path.
“Ugh! Don’t stand too close! Stay back!” The stallion freaked out, wiping off some dust that wasn’t there.
“I am sorry. I am trying to find the way to the Academy of Canterlot. Do you know where the Academy of Canterlot is?”
The look in his eyes suggested he was going to tease her, but his expression softened and was almost forming into a modest smile once he noticed the horn on her head and the wings at her sides. “Here, come with me, right this way!” He led Cadenza down the sidewalk, all the while trying to make conversation with her.
“So, what’s your name?”
“Mi Amore Cadenza.” “That’s a lovely name! I’ll just call you Cady, though; It’s so much easier to remember that way. You can call me Prince Blueblood.” She had heard the name before, and soon realized that the colt himself looked familiar. Chamomile and Mirror Gleam hadn’t been the only ones to mock her heritage after all. She sped up a bit as she saw the school building in the distance, hoping she could lose Blueblood in the process.
“Don’t speed up too fast now, Cadie. I wouldn’t want a fair lady like you getting lost, now would I?” Cadenza faked a girlish giggle and slowed down as they walked through the doors. With any luck, she could make her escape from Blueblood now. Most rooms had giant signs labeling them, so she was able to walk herself to the front office without much trouble.
The mare sitting at the front desk recognized her, but didn’t bow, only giving her a sheet of paper. “Here’s your schedule, honey. If you get lost, you can ask any one of our students. I think you’ll notice very quickly that they’re all very kind.”
“Thank you.” Cadenza smiled, reading her schedule right outside the door. She could actually read her schedule quite well, and got through most of the day without any problems. Surprisingly, it was leaving the school for the day that caused her the most stress. She suddenly found herself shoved up against the lockers, practically bowing to the hooves of a light purple pegasus and the white unicorn who always seemed to be by her side. On top of that, both of them were stallions, so that only made the height difference feel that much greater. They were both in her English class, but they hadn’t interacted much yet outside of that.
The fact that she was intimidated isn't helping much either, the negative feeling beginning to overwhelm her senses. “H-hola.” She stammered.
“Oh, looks like the insignificant princess isn’t being very loquacious in this present time. Isn’t that correct, my fair acquaintance Moonstone?” Royal Breeze hissed at her in delight, seeing that his words were effectively overwhelming her. “It appears that she has gone inarticulate. How delightful.”
Her head spun, and she couldn’t tell if she was going to trip over her own hooves or get a headache. She knew this was probably English, yes, but none of the words that her aunt had taught her had been this confusing, she just couldn’t understand-suddenly, another wave of emotion came at her, and she felt herself get dizzier and dizzier the longer she stood upright.
It wasn’t just his words, though, as she could also sense his bad intentions, and from the way his heart felt, he was going to do something much worse than taunt her with words she didn’t understand. She was soon proven right when she felt a white hoof slam her in the face. She crunched herself up against the lockers, but she hated feeling this weak and useless. She’d never been treated like this back in Altomarete. The more she thought about her hometown, the more her confusion melted into sadness. Sadness was the worst emotion she could feel that she knew of, as that left her even more defenseless than she was before.
“What do you think you’re doing? Leave that filly alone!” She opened her eyes again to see a large white stallion standing in front of her protectively, a magenta barrier shielding the both of them.
“Alright, alright! You don’t have to get so protective over your precious princess, dude. Geez.” The two colts galloped out of the school building together, leaving the white stallion to turn and face Cadenza.
“Are you alright?” When he spoke, Cadenza’s heart began to flutter in her chest, and she began to get lost in his deep yet bright blue eyes, and she could feel the dorkish smile forming on her face. No pony had ever stood up for her like that before, and she didn’t even know this stallion!
“Are you alright?” He repeated himself, and Cadenza nodded, though she was unable to stop smiling as her heart fluttered faster and faster inside her chest. Like confusion and sadness, she knew this feeling too; This was love, and not just the kind that came and went like the wind.
This was pure, and this was strong, just like the stallion that had caused it. The kind of love where she could hear twinkling bells wherever she walked, the kind that warmed her whole body and made her feel like she was floating gently above the clouds on a summer’s day.
“What’s your name?”
“My name is Mi Amore Cadenza. It is nice to meet you.”
The stallion waited for a minute before replying. “Oh! You’re Mi Amore Cadenza? My mom talked about you the other day; She works for Princess Celestia. She says you seem like a very nice young mare.”
They walked home from school together that evening, and they spoke a little more. She found out that he had a little sister, and how she’d had at least six other foalsitters in the past three months because all she liked to do was read.
By the time they’d made it to her room and they said their farewells to each other for the evening, she was fighting the urge to ask him to stay a little longer- he had a home to get to, and, from the sound of it, a younger sister who loved him very much.
And she may have just met him, but she loved him too.
Early one Saturday morning, Celestia knocked on Cadenza’s door. It hadn't been anything urgent due to the smile on her aunt's face, but that didn't help Cadenza's wandering mind. “Cadenza, I hope it’s not too quick to ask you this, but how do you feel about foalsitting?”
Cadenza smiled. While she’d been walking home with Shining Armor the other day, she saw a group of foals smiling and playing together and wished that she could have grown up with siblings like that. They had been talking about his own younger sister then.
“I like them.”
“How would you like to try your hoof at it then? You’ll be watching one of my most trusted advisors filly for the day. Don’t worry about stress too much though; Her older brother will be there if you need help.
“I will do it.” She wasn’t sure what or who she was supposed to expect, but at the very least, she would know a new face and have a bit of experience. Celestia gave her the address of the home and sent her on her way.
“Thank you so much, Cadenza. We’re terribly sorry to have you do this on such short notice.”
“It is alright.” Cadenza smiled as the mare called for her filly, Twilight Sparkle, to come and meet her new foalsitter. Twilight barely spared her a glance before her eyes went back to the book she’d been levitating in front of her.
The grey mare nudged her daughter lightly. “Twily, this is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. She’s going to be your foal sitter.” At the mention that Cadenza was a princess, Twilight dropped both her book and her jaw to the floor.
Like magic, Twilight’s entire attitude suddenly did a 180.“You’re a princess?! Oh-oh, can I see your wings? Can you do any cool spells? Do you know Princess Celestia?” Her mother sushed Twilight gently.
“Alright, alright, let’s at least let the princess settle in first, sweetheart.” Twilight’s mother laughed a little at her filly’s antics. “We’ll be back probably around 7. If you need any help with Twilight, her older brother’s here as well.”
Cadenza saw the couple leave, meaning that it was just her and this strange young filly in the room together now. Still, Cadenza felt her heart race; It was a similar feeling to what she’d felt the other day with that mysterious white stallion, but different. This was a strong bond of friendship, almost like they were destined to become sisters, where that was love, like the kind you’d find in fairy tales. It was strong, and she didn’t really know if this sudden pull of the heart was right, but it wasn’t like she could control it.
“Well? Do you know really know the real Princess Celestia? Like, do you actually get to talk to her and stuff? Do ya, do ya?” The filly was jumping around her now, making her head spin.
Cadenza nodded and smiled. “She is my aunt. I live with her in her castle.”
Twilight’s bouncing only sped up. “Really? Can we go meet her? Please, please, please?” Though it hurt to deny the wish of such an adorable filly, she also knew how busy the princess was.
“Twily, what’s all this fuss-” He cut himself short upon noticing the familiar pink alicorn standing in his living room, his face turning just as pink as her coat. “O-oh Cadenza… I didn’t know you were gonna be foalsitting for Twily.”
“You’re gonna be protecting her one day, Shiny! Mia Door Caden-ssa is a real princess!” Cadenza giggled, finding Twilight’s inability to pronounce her full name beyond adorable. Even Cadenza herself didn't like how imposing and out-of-place her name sounded compared to the other ponies in her village. She should probably make her name a little bit easier to pronounce for the young filly; She had the potential to eventually become the princess of many things, but doors probably wasn’t going to be one of them.
“You may just call me Cadance.”
“Okay Cadance! This is my big brother, Shining Armor! He’s my B.B.B.F.F!” Cadance was confused. She’d learned lots of English since she came to Canterlot, but that word was one she’d never heard of before.
“Y’know, my Big Brother Best Friend Forever?” Cadance rolled her eyes playfully before asking Twilight what she wanted to do first. She was just about to suggest they read together or something before Twilight suggested something else; Something that was much more frightening to Cadance than she first thought.
“Can you show me some of your cool spells?”
Cadance had barely had her horn for a week, and the most she could do as of right now was just barely open a door by herself. She could also control the feelings of other ponies around her, but she didn’t want to use that unless she had too. “I have not been a princess for a long time. I do not know magic very much.”
“Well, you have to know something! You live with Princess Celestia, for pete’s sake!” Cadance couldn’t tell whether or not she was being sarcastic, or angry or none of those things at all; This happened with some ponies who were just “wearing a mask”, as the princess had called it.
Shining Armor tried to calm his sister down. “Twily, there are some ponies who just don’t feel comfortable with performing their magic in front of others.” Shining and Cadance had both hoped that would help her understand the whole situation, but with unpredictable emotions that fillies had, of course it only pushed her to get more upset. “But she’s a princess, and rule number 4691 of the Princess Rulebook says that princesses can’t be nervous!”
Cadance now knows for a fact that Twilight was joking, and attempted to joke back with her. “Oh? And where did you find said Princess Rulebook? I must look at this myself, then. I guess, with you being the princess expert and me having only been a princess for a week, maybe you could teach me about some of the princessy rules that I have to follow now.” Twilight stuttered and struggled to find an answer. “Well-well-okay, maybe the rulebook hasn’t been written yet, but, since my mom works for Princess Celestia, she’s probably gonna be the first pony to write it all out!”
For the most part, the rest of the day was spent without any other major problems. Twilight and Cadance even came up with their own hoof-clapping game, at Twilight’s insistence that they needed a special “princess code” that they could share with only each other. “One more, one more! We need to get it perfect!” Twilight giggled, and they started their little dance over once more.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” They smiled, falling to the floor in a pile of uncontrollable laughter.
That happiness was soon crushed, however, by the sound of arguing coming from outside the front door. “Night, I’m just worried about him, okay? It’s a mother’s job to worry about her foals, and of course a mother should be worried if her son wants to risk his life, right?”
“Velvet, he’s not doing this for no reason. He’s already told us that he wants to protect Equestria; If I’m honest, I personally think you should be more proud of him.”
“He’s going to get himself hurt out there! Or maybe…” Twilight Velvet’s voice trailed off, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Cadance could feel her hurt too, wanting nothing more than to curl up into a ball and not move until these heavy feelings were gone. But she couldn’t do that now, not in front of Twilight or her parents; She had to prove that she could handle stress if she wanted to keep on seeing Twilight.
Suddenly, two small hearts leaked out from her horn, encircling Twilight’s parents without either of them noticing. When the hearts touched, the expressions in their eyes softened, and they had seemingly forgot about their fight altogether. Twilight’s eyes widened upon seeing this. “If you don’t know any cool magic...then how did you do that?”
“It is simply my special talent.”
“Can you teach that to me, so I can get my mom and dad to stop fighting like that?” Twilight looked up at Cadance, her eyes seemingly growing wider and more irresistible by the second. Her magic wasn’t just something she could teach though, lest she face the wrath of her village’s holy father. “Do your parents argue a lot?” Cadance wouldn’t know what parental arguing was like, but she had seen fights break out before, and, no matter who had “won” she was always guaranteed to get hurt.
“Not usually, but ever since Shining’s told them that he wanted to go to the Royal Guard's training academy, they’ve started fighting a lot more often. It scares me sometimes.” Cadance could feel the filly’s pain. She must’ve been terrified, with all the anger and uncertainty that surrounded her every night. Cadance was almost at a loss for words, but she did think of one thing to say while holding the young unicorn close to her chest at an attempt to soothe her.
“Do not worry, Twilight Sparkle. I will protect your Shining Armor.”
“Really? You can do that?” Twilight suddenly grinned at her, eyes filling with hope and optimism once more.
“Well, if Shining Armor actually does get to become a member of the royal guard, and I am a princess…” She left her sentence unfinished on purpose, waiting for Twilight’s eyes to light up again once she did the math.
“You promise, Cadance?”
“I promise. Good night, Twilight Sparkle.” With that she left them for the evening, a small smile remaining on her lips through the rest of the evening, her dreams the sweetest they had ever been during her time in Canterlot.
“Merry Hearth’s Warming Eve, Cadance!” Twilight pounced on her foalsitter, hugging her. “I can’t believe you’re actually gonna stay with us for Hearth’s Warming!” Cadance nodded. She was happy that Twilight was so happy, though it’s not like she had anywhere else to go.
“Thank you very much for letting me stay with you.” If she was honest with herself, she didn’t have a clue what the holiday was, as they had never celebrated it back in her secluded little village.
“It’s no problem at all, Cadance. The kids love you, and you seem to be a very sweet young mare. Besides, from what the reports are saying, the weather is supposed to get pretty bad.”
A brief look of terror appeared on Cadance’s face as she noticed the wind howling outside the window, Twilight Velvet’s motherly instincts coming to soothe her immediately. “Well, no matter what the forecast says, I’m sure we’ll have a great time.”
During dinner, the family had told stories of holidays past, how they remembered making gingerbread and singing carols with one another. Cadence stayed silent; She didn’t have such joyous memories of the holiday season, as the only time her village came out of their houses in the winter was to go to church. She got out a little more, because, with no pony willing to truly raise someone as “different” as she had been, she had to find some source of food in the winter.
Along the way, somehow the topic had shifted to parents and families, and, ironically enough, that was the first time Cadence was included in the family’s conversation.
“What about your parents, Cadance?”
Cadance was abruptly snapped out of her daydream of carols and playing in the snow like her friends had. “What?”
“What are your parents like?”
Cadance remembered being raised in Altomarete, but she also remembered being raised by the whole village, so she never really grew up with any two parents. Sure, some ponies had been much more kind to her than others, but that didn’t really make them family, did it? She knew there was no way to lie about this and still have it sound convincing, so she simply told them what she knew about her birth parents. “I cannot remember.”
“That’s silly, Cadance! Everypony has parents!”
“Not everypony, Twily.” Night Light interrupted, causing his daughter to look up at him. “Some ponies can’t be with their parents for whatever reason, so they’re sent to live with other ponies who can take care of them better. Some ponies never get that chance, unfortunately.”
“But, if Cadance really is a princess, then her parents should’ve taken better care of her, right? I mean, who would give up a chance to live with a princess?”
“I was not always a princess. I received my horn quite recently, actually. I used to just be a pegasus.”
Cadance barely had time to finish her sentence before Twilight began to bombard her with questions. “Oh! Did you live in Cloudsdale? What’s the Weather Factory like? Do they really make rainbows there?”
Cadance shook her head. “I grew up in the woods, far away from here. I was the only pegasus in the village of earth ponies.”
Twilight listened intently, curious to hear Cadance’s tales of the hidden village in the woods. Cadance would've been willing to tell her, too, if she hadn’t heard the howling wind ride right over the rooftop. Normally, she wouldn’t be so afraid of the wind, and, being a pegasus she would usually be the first to embrace it, but now was different. She turned to glance out a nearby window and could see the snow piling up, ready to surround them and suffocate them at any given moment.
It was the perfect weather for Los diavoli de l'inverno to attack them. They were one of the very few and very faint memories that Cadance had of her so-called past life, and they scared her like nothing else could. She tried and tried to push back on the emerging memory, convincing herself that maybe this really was just a normal snowstorm. Nothing more, nothing less.
Of course, given the fact that everything else had gone smoothly up to this point, she was quickly proven wrong.
Night Light’s eyes went dark as he rasped from his seat. “Y’know what I think, Velvet? I really think you should be more proud of our son for his achievements.”
Though unexpected, Cadance wasn’t scared yet. Normally, they’d talk this out gently; Sure, from what she’d seen, they might raise their voices occasionally, but Cadance was sure it had never gotten blown into a full-on screaming match.
Clearly though, Night Light’s words had triggered a strong nerve in Velvet, and she began to yell at the top of her lungs, making sure that her husband could hear her side of the argument. “Why are you even bringing that up? You know it makes me uncomfortable to talk about that!”
“It’s not about how you feel! Our son wants to protect Equestria, and all you can do is worry about him like an Ursa Minor’s mother!”
“It’s my job to worry about him! After all, I have to pick up all the slack of you just willing to send him out into danger all willy-nilly!”
The argument continued, and Cadance quickly slipped away from the dining table and up the stairs, into the corner of the guest bedroom where she would be spending the next few nights. They hadn’t set up the cot yet, and she didn’t have the guts to remind them of something so trivial in a tense moment like this, especially when she came from circumstances where she was lucky if she got to spend the night sleeping on carpeted floors.
A few minutes passed before she heard the clopping of strong hooves come down the hallway, and she immediately thought the worst; Was Night Light angry at her for suddenly disappearing like she had? She knew she couldn’t face him when he was that upset, a feverish headache already beginning to take hold of her.
Instead, it was Shining Armor, rounding the door with a concerned look on his face. “Are you alright, Cadance?”
She wanted to lie and say she was fine, but he’d still be able to see the pain and discomfort on her face. Still, it seemed like not even the word no was going to come out of her coherently, so she just gave in to her scrambled and frantic thoughts. “Los diavoli...Los est arrivent.” She wanted to get on herself for accidently slipping up in front of Shining Armor, but not one inch of her cared enough, and she decided on simply closing her eyes for a while until the headache went away.
Cadance did just that and, suddenly, couldn’t remember what was in front of her. All she could see was the devils circling outside of the window of the palace, a thick mist clouding the sky. A tall pink pegasus mare, with a sickly, tired look in her sky blue eyes...her mother. She always felt so small when she had this memory. They were both hot, and the around around them was bright, but she felt so very tired. Cadence could see her younger self, squirming and whining in a way only foals could. Her mother shushed her and attempted to rock her slightly, but a thundering cough stopped her from doing so. Afterwards, her mother slept. Cadance slept as well, her mother’s heartbeat lulling her into a nap. Sometime then, though, the heartbeat stopped.
She blinked rapidly, returning to the real world and seeing Shining Armor standing by her bedside. Somehow, somepony had set up the cot for her, which was good, because she was tired. She was hot, too. The pain she felt was no longer a dull ache in the back of her head, but it now felt like she was not in a blizzard but instead in the Saddle Arabian desert. The snow was bright again. The white aura already blinded her enough that she didn’t have to turn over to tell if it was still there.
“I’m glad to see you’re awake, Cadance. Do you feel like you can sit up? I brought you a glass of water.” She nodded, shakily levitating the glass over to herself with her cerulean magic, Shining Armor’s own magenta levitation helping to keep it steady. She drank it appreciatively, but knew that all the water in the world couldn’t stop the heat.
“Cadance, if I’m allowed to ask, what happened back there? Once my parents started fighting you kind of just ran out of the room. I know you’re really connected to other people’s emotions, but once I found you up here you were passed out with a fever!”
That’s right. She was sick again, wasn’t she? She hated being sick, because she felt so alone, and so desperate for comfort. She could feel the memories going hazy and retreating back into her mind, but she didn’t want him to leave, so she tried to explain herself the best she could. She shakily brought over the notepad off of a nearby counter, as well as it’s accompanying quill, and started to write.
Shining Armor’s mood quickly dropped as he read what she had written. There was no way he could’ve known, but he felt terrible about it. There was nothing he could say that could possibly make her feel better, was there?
“I’m sorry, Cadance. I know this hasn’t exactly been the most comfortable visit for you.” Shining Armor was just about to turn towards the door again when he heard more scratching coming from the notepad.
Please stay.
She looked back down at her notepad and found she didn’t have anymore space. But Cadance wanted to keep communicating, and so she slurred her words to him, her voice hoarse and her throat dry. “’S alright. ‘Grew up an orphan in the woods. ’m still not use ’ta not sleeping in real beds...or cots...usually slept on wooden floors as a filly. It they wanted ‘ta punish me, would’a slept outside.”
His mouth took on an “o” shape in surprise.
“Don’ worry ‘bout it though, kinda deserved it. ‘Wasn’t exactly the perfect role model as a kid.” She laughed punch-drunkenly.
“What could you have even…”
“‘Lotta thins’ that’re normal here ‘re sins in my village. Couldn’ fly, or go anywhere myself. Was usually kept inside ‘cause they thought I was a witch.”
“Wait, but you were born a pegasus, right? And didn’t Princess Celestia bring you right to Canterlot after you ascended?” A nod. “So you couldn’t really do magic, and they still thought you were a witch?”
Another nod. “Had somethin’ to do with my emotions. Said I came from somewhere special like that...” Cadance suddenly perked up, levitating her copy of The History of the Crystal Empire out of her saddle bag and by her bedside, showing it to Shining Armor. “They say I came from this place. Don’t know much about it, though.”
Shining smiled. He’d never heard of it, and he’d have something to show Twily in the morning. “Well, maybe, if you feel better in the morning, we can all learn more about the empire tomorrow. How does that sound?”
Cadance’s eyes had already drifted shut, a small smile planted on her lips. She was still in pain, but she felt at peace. The wind was still roaring over the rooftops, but she wasn’t afraid; After all, she had her Shining Armor with her. And he was more than enough.
A few months had passed since the Hearth's Warming incident at the Sparkle household, Night Light and Cadence had patched things up long before, and spring was now in full session. Just like in nature, spring meant change for many ponies; Some ponies would start at new jobs, and some students would begin at new schools. For Twilight and Shining Armor, spring meant that big changes would soon be affecting both of their lives.
Twilight had just been accepted into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns a few days earlier, and Cadance couldn’t be prouder of the little lavender filly. Of course, Twilight’s acceptance into the school meant that Cadance wouldn’t have to foalsit for her anymore, but it had been clear ever since that they had first met that her acceptance into this school was all she had ever wanted.
“We’ll still see each other, though, right? And we’ll keep on doing our secret code?”
“It’s a promise, Twilight. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a creampuff in my eye.”
“It’s cupcake, Cadance.”
“Close enough.” The two girls smiled. No matter how much she idolized them, Twilight loved having a princess she was so close too, and really would miss having both her and her brother around to have fun with her. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Twilight really had struggled with making friends at school. Her parents, and, in secret, Twilight as well, were hopeful that going to Celestia’s school would help her meet more ponies like her.
Today, however, was Shining Armor’s day to be celebrated; Today was the special ceremony for all incoming members of Solar Royal Guard from the training academy, and, of course, as he had graduated at the top of his class, Shining Armor was among them.
As a princess-in-training, Cadance was required to go, but it’s not like she would’ve rejected the request anyway; Shining Armor was probably her best friend, and this was probably the least she could do for him.
As Celestia’s afternoon sunlight beamed down on the crowd, Cadance stood by Blueblood (who was sitting on a pillow by request), content to watch the ceremony unfold.
The current captain of the Guard, Captain Iron Spear stood proud and tall, a menacing expression aimed at the rows of stallions and mares before him, who were all sparkling in their new armor, the color matching Celestia’s sun itself. Cadance knew she had to find Shining Armor before he put his helmet on at the end of the ceremony, the two sharing a secret smile once they made eye contact.
Iron Spear turned to address the audience, letting his serious and stiff expression loosen only the slightest amount possible. “Fillies and gentlecolts, we have gathered you here on this fine day so that you could see the final transition of your colts turning into stallions and your fillies turning into mares. These ponies, though they all come from different walks of life have all shown overwhelming loyalty towards the protection of our fair nation of Equestria and its ruler. I trust in each and every one of them to serve with loyalty, pleasure, generosity, honesty and kindness.”
The captain turned to face the new soldiers now. Some of them kept a straight face, while others just couldn’t help but take in a small yet prideful smile of their accomplishments. These smiles quickly faded, however, when they heard their captain’s booming voice being directed at them once again. “Gaurds! Helmets up!” With that cue, all of the new guardsponies put their golden helmets on their heads for the first time, completing the ceremony. The crowd and the guards roared with excitement, each family rushing to congratulate their family member.
Everypony at the ceremony was filled with joy, energy and excitement. So, Cadance could feel that too as she rushed to meet Shining Armor.
Shining Armor and his parents shared a group hug, Twilight bouncing around her older brother. “Congratulations, B.B.B.F.F! I know you’re gonna be super strong one day! And you’re gonna protect Cadance, and then one day, I’ll become a princess, and you’re gonna protect me too, right?”
“Of course, Twily. I love ya, L.S.B.F.F.” He took one glance at her, then one glance at the castle. Only Celestia knew how long he’d be training here for, and he might even get stationed even further out than that depending on his luck. “I’ll miss ya’ kid. But I want you to know that no matter where I end up, I’ll always be thinking of you.”
Twilight already knew that, since her brother was now a member of the Royal Gaurd, they wouldn’t be seeing each other as often as they did. It was hard to get used too at first, but, as her parents had explained to her, she’d still have them, as well as her favorite doll Smarty Pants, to keep her company. “I’ll miss you too, B.B.B.F.F. But look on the bright side! You’ll get to spend more time with Cadance!” With that, Cadance simply giggled as Shining Armor blushed a bright shade of red that would even look unnatural on ponies.
Suddenly, Twilight pulled Cadance aside, whispering into her ear. “You remember your promise, right? The one you made with me the first time we met?”
“Of course I do, Twilight Sparkle.” Cadance says, whispering into her ear and giggling at temporarily going back to her old manner of speaking. “I promise that I will protect your Shining Armor for as long as I have him with me.”
“Thank you, Princess Mi-Adoor-Cadenssa.” This time, both girls giggled.
“What are you two talking about over there?” Night Light questioned, but, unfortunately for the stallion, they had both sworn to absolute secrecy.
“Nothing!” They called back.
Like they had expected, after that day, everything changed. What Cadance hadn’t expected, though, was such a big surprise just the next day.
Just like she had every morning, Celestia tapped on Cadance’s door. Cadance had been sleeping in a lot more lately, and that was very unusual for her normally sociable niece. “Cadenza? Are you awake?”
She mumbled tiredly, slowly walking to the door. “Just Cadance is fine, Princess Celestia.”
“Well, I was just going to introduce you to the newest resident of Canterlot Castle, is all.” Suddenly Cadance saw a purple filly squirm through Celestia’s legs, reaching out and hugging Cadance.
“Twilight! Oh, I’m so happy to see you!” The two hugged, before going into their special chant immediately afterwards. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” The two girls laughed together, neither of them caring that Princess Celestia had seen their dancing. “Did ya hear, Cadance? Did ya? I’m Princess Celestia’s student now! I’m gonna learn magic from her!”
Cadance was shocked, but in a happy way, much more out of pride for her improptu little sister than fear. Cadance had known Twilight was accepted into Celestia’s school, but to become her aunt's protege? That was something far beyond what Cadance expected. What she guessed, though, was that Twilight had taught her another thing that day; From Twilight Sparkle, you could always expect the unexpected.
Several years had gone by since Twilight first became Celesta’s student. She had moved out of the Canterlot Castle and into Ponyville, a small town just off of Canterlot’s hillside. From what Shining Armor had heard about his little sister, she had actually made friends there, and it had been her who saved them all from the threat of Nightmare Moon.
The thought of his little sister facing down anymore threats to Equestria made him nervous, but he couldn’t worry about that now, as he stood in front of Princess Celestia herself and awaited his orders.
“Captain Armor?” Celestia called from down on her throne, getting the attention of the stallion who was clad in a purple armor suit.
“Yes, your highness?”
“I want you to do something. Although I know it may be one of the most difficult tasks you have ever had to endure, I fully believe that you, as the Captain of the Gaurd, shall be up to the task.”
Shining Armor stood tall, his expression telling Celestia that he was ready for anything from a station in the griffon lands, to a scope of the Badlands Changeling Hive. She couldn’t help but have a friendly smirk on her face, but the guard barely noticed her expression.
“I want you to take today off.”
Shining Armor nearly gasped at this; If she weren't his boss and the leader of Equestria, he probably would’ve questioned her. “Pardon me, your highness?”
“Tonight, as you know, is the night of the Grand Galloping Gala. I, as well as Cadenza, would like you to enjoy it. It’s supposed to be a night where all the ponies of Equestria are welcomed for a night of dancing and relaxation at the Canterlot Castle.”
“But your highness-”
She cut him off, already predicting his question. “There are plenty of other guards we have stationed around the castle for tonight, as well as the rest of the morning. Now, go do what you need to do to get ready. I’m looking forward to seeing what you have in store for my niece this evening.”
“Thank you, your highness.” He bowed to her one last time before leaving her throne room.
He had secretly been hoping to get the night off. Like the princess had thought, he did have big plans for Cadance that night: His thoughts transitioned to the small, plush box, and it’s contents, which he had spent a fortune on.
Still, it didn’t matter how much he’d spent on it; His hopeful fiance-to-be was the embodiment of love itself, so it was pretty much a given that in order to win her hoof in marriage, Shining Armor would have to show her the best night ever!
As he and Cadence walked into the ballroom later that night, he was soon overwhelmed by the majesty of everything around him. Cadence was dressed in a bright blue gown with streaks of pastel-colored light rolling down the back, her hair worn up in a complex style that must’ve taken hours to perfect.
Shining Armor had been so busy admiring the breathtaking space and his equally breathtaking marefriend that he didn’t even notice when Princess Celestia was trying to talk to him.
“Captain Shining Armor, are you alright?”
His face was quickly overwhelmed by a bright shade of crimson, his pure white coat not helping matters.“Uh-uh-um, yes, your highness, I’m alright.” Shining Armor could have sworn that he saw Twilight standing somewhere in the crowded room, but, as his mind was focused on getting out of the ballroom as quickly as possible, he didn’t think he had time to stop and say hello.
“Are you hungry? I could get us something to eat.”
“That would be lovely!”
Just as the two of them were making their way over to a nearby apple stall, they were cut in front of by a white stallion who they both recognized, though they were surprised to see a young mare standing next to him, considering most ponies in Equestria couldn’t stand in the same room as him for more than 5 minutes, let alone happily stand next to him. “Oh, Cady! Long time no see!”
For the first time that night, Cadence was anything other than positive. She let out a tired sigh as her voice temporarily lost it’s cheerful lilt. “Hi, Blueblood.”
“Cady, Cady, Cady, out of all ponies, I thought at least you would know to always respect royalty with their proper titles.”
She didn’t know what it was, but at that moment, Cadance could feel something inside her go off. Blueblood had put her down with his words ever since she had come to Canterlot. So why couldn’t she poke a little fun at him for a change? “Oh, my apologies, Baronet Blueblood.”
Blueblood scoffed. “How dare you! You should really show me more respect. After all, did you forget that my father still has the power to get you deported?”
Cadence’s newfound burst of confidence quickly left as she felt her head get dizzy. She was offended, but also confused; They couldn’t send her back to Altomare, could they? No, the Princess had taken care of her papers when she had first arrived in Canterlot, right?
Shining Armor readied a small magenta shield, taking a small step closer to Blueblood. “Knock it off.”
“I thought you royal guard were trained better than that. Really now, is that any way to speak to your superior?”
“You aren’t my superior.”
“Think of it this way, Captain Armor. You are a member of the Solar Guard, correct?”
“The captain, yes.”
“Well, as the Royal Gaurd’s job is to protect the members of the royal family, I am technically allowed to give you orders, correct?”
“If all about 700 other ponies who are ahead of you in the line of succession were to somehow be unavailable at the same time then I suppose, hypothetically, yes, you could. Although my entire family would also be ahead of you in the line of succession, so if it’s me your after controlling, there's no way to make that possible.” That was another reason why Cadance had become so smitten with him; Sure, he had a foal genius of a sister to compare to, but when it came to anything related to the way the royal guard operated, Shining was on top of it.
“And in that hypothetical situation, I would be your superior, and, as you are true nobility as well, I suppose, that at least puts you above the orphan you’ve taken to the Gala tonight. Then again, when your special talent is making everybody fall in love with you, can you really say your above anybody?”
Shining’s horn sparked in a rage. “Leave Cadance out of this you ignorant bigot!”
“Sh-Shining please, le-let’s just get away from him. I’m not feeling very hungry anymore.”
“If you say so.”
With the soft classical music being played from the stage, with minimal quiet chatter here and there, they figured that this hall would be the easiest place for Cadance to get herself back down to a state of normalcy after that run-in with Blueblood. Everything about that plan was going well until a pink pony with a frizzy pink mane had hopped up onto the stage and began to sing-although it was closer to shouting- a small song from their childhood. Normally, Cadance would have laughed at this, or at least cracked a smile, but she was so exhausted she could barely even muster a glare.
As if though fate was at its cruelest that night, Blueblood and his mysterious date walked back into the room, following behind a large cake that looked as if though it was ready to topple over at any moment. Of course, a pony stage-diving into it at top speeds was more than enough to finally cause it to fall over, most of it landing directly on top of Blueblood.
Though Shining Armor was satisfied to see Blueblood finally get his comeuppance, the last thing he needed was a swarm of every animal in the Canterlot gardens to come sprinting through the ballroom, a maddened yellow pegasus following behind them.
Quickly, he teleported them both out of the mess, hoping to not run into anymore trouble in the park. Other than the two of them, it was completely quiet; Everyone else in Canterlot was either still at the gala or otherwise indoors. He checked his pocket again, and sighed with relief; Somehow, in all that chaos, the ring hadn’t left his side. “Well, Cadance, I know tonight didn’t exactly run very smoothly, and I know that we could both name a million other places that would be much more fitting to ask this question, but if you say yes, it won’t just be me, you’ll be getting a pretty great sister too. Cadance, will you marry me?”
Cadance let the tears of joy roll down her cheeks as she smiled and kissed her new fiancé. “Yes!”
As he walked down the hallway of their own private section of the Canterlot Castle, Shining Armor was amazed out how well he could still make out Cadance’s part of their conversation. “No, no, I don’t really mind if the napkins are eggshell or ivory. It’s fine, Cadence, it’s your call. Yes, I’m sure, I promise it’s not that big of a deal to me. I know how much this wedding means to you, but I think that maybe you’re stressing yourself out a little too much. How about we go on a walk?”
Cadence sighed, allowing herself to relax slightly. “Honestly? That’s probably the best suggestion I’ve heard all day.”
The two fiances walked down to the castle’s private gardens, letting the mid-spring breeze and the fresh aromas of the blooming flowers relax their spirits. “To be perfectly honest, I can’t wait to get this over with.”
Shining Armor smiled, acting as though he were in shock. “Oh? Talk like this coming from the princess of love herself? Blasphemy! Or maybe we really have figured out the mysterious threat after all! You must be an imposter!”
Cadence chuckled. “Well, I was there at the three hour long meeting about how long the train of the dress should be, if that gives you any hints. It’s just that with the wedding coming up so soon and your patrol around Canterlot with the threat coming in, it’s just been so much that sometimes I just want to skip this whole thing and get to the part where we can live in peace.”
“As much peace as you could possibly get, being a princess of Equestria and all.”
Cadence rolled her eyes. “Oh, pfft. I don’t have a kingdom, any living relatives, and was born as a completely normal pegasus pony who was raised in the middle of nowhere. The only reason anypony would ever consider me a princess is because-”
“You were made an alicorn by Celestia herself who then took you in and raised you in Canterlot to become the princess of love?”
“Well, yeah, but in the eyes of the media I probably don’t even exist.”
“You know what the best part about that is, though?”
“What?”
“It gives us more time to be alone. Just the two of us; And with a mare like you, that’s the best thing I could ever ask for.” Just as they had leaned in to nuzzle one another, a black shadow sped from tree to tree. Shining Armor ignored it at first, dismissing it as the shadows playing a trick on his eyes.
A faint buzzing noise grew clearer with every second, until Shining Armor decided that he couldn’t ignore it anymore, letting go of his wife’s embrace to investigate. A magenta light radiated the ground. “Stay here.” He followed the buzzing noise deeper and deeper into the brush of the garden, until he was completely out of sight.
Within seconds, a large pony-like had appeared right in front of Cadence's eyes grinning maliciously at her. She could recognize it as a changeling from her studies, but from what she’d learned, changelings only lived in the far west badlands. What was one doing all the way out here? The changeling spoke as her spell of green flames encircled Cadance and quickly overwhelmed her. “Don’t worry, princess. You’ll be helping the hive out immensely with all the love you must have in that heart of yours.”
Cadence--the real Cadance-- was never quite sure of how long she had been trapped down there. Had it been days or weeks?
Either way, it was difficult to tell when all that she had down there to keep her company was her own reflection, which grew more and more unkempt by the day. All that the princess had was her mussed up reflection and her fear, which seemed to bounce off the crystal walls of the cavern and reflect right back into her heart.
So, by the time her favorite foalhoad friend found her, she was terrified enough to believe that Twilight would beat her up, or perhaps stoop so low as to do something even worse than that. Cadance’s mind had been fogged up from the time she'd been forced to spend in isolation, but there were still some things she could remember as clearly as her auntie’s day.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake,
Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”
The wedding was planned to be on that very day, Twilight had told her. This was supposed to be the most perfect day of her life, a day which she had been taught to wait for and wish for ever since she was a young filly sitting and waiting and praying in silence in Altomarete’s churchhouse.
While she waited for her wedding day, Cadance also liked to let her mind wander; She dreamed of the friends she would have in the future, when she wasn’t the only filly her age that she knew. She dreamed of her luxurious wedding cake, which would please everypony. She dreamed of the day she would finally hear the sound of church bells echoing out over the entire village just for her.
Despite her fear and all the doubt in her mind that she would ever reach her groom in time to save him from her doppelganger. Knowing what changelings could do, she had probably placed a spell on him to drain his love. After she had stolen all of the love from his heart, nobody knew exactly what was going to happen, though perhaps she would let him live as a servant, if the changeling queen was feeling particularly kind today.
No matter what could happen to Shining Armor, Cadance needed to make sure that nothing happened to him. She refused to give up the wedding day of her dreams so easily, to give up the stallion of her dreams so easily.
It was down there in the caverns that she learned that broken hopes could take form in the most unusual of ways. A mine cart that hadn’t been touched in 50 years was one of them. When she had gotten that sparkle in her eye, when she had gotten the small hint that there was indeed a light at the end of the tunnel, she had carried Twilight on her back and had glided the two of them all the way to the ledge.
That was all there had been: A ledge. A dead end, caused by a trick of the light. She had come up with the idea of tossing the bouquet to distract her duplicate’s brainwashed bridesmaids, bringing her that much closer to being reunited with her hopefully soon-to-be-husband.
The moment that they had spotted the exit was one of, if not the, happiest moments of Cadance’s life. Cadance’s legs ached and burned with the pain of Celestia’s sun, but she still sprinted; After all, her life really did depend on getting to the wedding hall as fast as she could.
They were halfway to the door when Cadance’s legs finally stopped moving. “Twilight, please I need you to-”
Without Cadence even having to finish her sentence, Twilight had already charged into the next room, the other Cadance crying crocodile tears about how Twilight had ruined her special day. It was at that moment when Cadance got back up on her hooves, having regained the strength to walk again.
“It’s not your special day, it’s mine! The other Cadance is a changeling. She takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off of your love for them!”
The buglike witch cackled at Cadance’s explanation before taking Shining Armor by the head and making him nod as if though he was a puppet on strings. That was the last straw for Cadance, the pastel pink alicorn wanting so badly to charge at the changeling queen, and yet her hooves were somehow stuck to the ground in fear.
Chrysalis chided her. “Don’t want to get sent back down to the caves now, do you?”
Before she could blink, Her aunt was sprawled out on the floor in pain, Shining’s shield spell had been compromised, and the element bearers had been captured by another swarm of changelings while trying to retrieve the elements. Cadance was at a loss for words until Twilight whispered in her ear, “Go to him while you still can.” She melted the changeling goo off of her front legs, Cadance discreetly trotting over to her groom-to-be.
Like she had expected, Her magic had grown weaker after being trapped in the caves for so long, but the love she had for Shining Armor was stronger. A pink heart formed at the tip of her horn and floated over to Shining Armor’s own, freeing him of Chrysalis’s brainwashing. For the first time that day, Cadance smiled, though her happiness wasn’t long lasting; She hated seeing Shining Armor like this, hurt dazed and confused.
“What happened...Is the wedding over?” “It’s all over!” Chrysalis cackled as she walked over to the window and looked down at the sights she had caused. Ponies were screaming from the streets and fleeing for their lives from her army of changelings, with an unlucky few having already been trapped.in their green slime.
“No...how did I let this happen, the shield should’ve kept the threat out.Mhm...but why do I feel so light headed...”
Cadance leaned in closer to Shining, both to help him regain his balance and to nuzzle him slightly. “My love will give you strength.” The huddled closer to one another, not even noticing the white glow that was stating to surrounded them. Both of them began to smile as a force pushed them upwards. Soon, that white glow turned a bright pink, and a large heart shape pushed outwards,repelling Queen Chrysalis and her army far away from Canterlot.
Cadance could’ve sworn she heard the changeling queen scream out in anger, but that didn’t matter to her. After all, although it was going to have to be postponed, she still had her wedding day to look forward to. And her wedding day was going to be perfect.
Shining Armor couldn’t ask for a more peaceful day. The real wedding had been beautiful, and their honeymoon was all they could ask for after going through so much. He was on a stroll with his wife through the park and their surroundings were so calm and serene that he almost thought that there was no way anything could go wrong.
What he had forgotten while on his honeymoon, however, is that when you’re in Canterlot, you should never tempt fate.
“Your majesties! Princess Celestia has an urgent message for the both of you: She wanted us to tell you that the Crystal Empire of the frozen north has returned.”
Cadance gasped and, without wasting a single moment, had used her quickest teleportation spell. When Shining opened his eyes again, they were standing in the middle of a large city, each and every structure being constructed entirely from crystal.
In a flash of light, Princess Celestia arrived with her signature warm smile on her face and a twinkle in her violet eyes. Out of instinct, Shining Armor bowed to his boss. “Your majesty, if I may ask, what is this place?”
“I believe that Princess Cadance would know more than I would, Captain. After all, this kingdom is rightfully hers.” Celestia glanced over to Cadence with a knowing look and a small smile.
Cadance’s eyes lit up like a filly’s on Hearth’s Warming’s Morning as she stared in amazement what her aunt had just said. “Auntie, are you serious? Is this actually the place? I just can’t believe that this is happening-”
“Yes. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, you are next in line for the throne of the Crystal Empire and as such, this is now your rightful fiefdom. Shining Armor, this now makes you the empire’s prince-consort. But be warned; The empire has returned, but that means King Sombra has certainly returned with it. I’ll be sending Twilight and the others as soon as I can to help you, but King Sombra is coming for the empire as quickly as he can. You don’t have much time.” With that, Celestia disappeared in a large flash of light, leaving behind a long lost crystal empress and her prince-consort.
“Cadance, where are we?”
“This is the Crystal Empire. If Princess Celestia was right, and if all those dreams I had as a filly were true, then this is my home. I’m sorry for hiding this from you for so long. I just didn’t know how you would feel. Please don’t be upset…”
Shining Armor nuzzled his wife affectionately. “I’m not upset, I promise. Now, Princess Celestia mentioned that a threat is targeting the empire from an unknown direction and coming towards us at an unknown speed. If I were to use my wide-range shield spell, maybe that could-”
“Shining, your shield wouldn’t be able to keep King Sombra out of the empire. He uses very powerful and forbidden dark magic, so your shield would immediately collapse if King Sombra got close enough.” For a moment, Cadance’s eyes were drained of their color, and a large cyan bubble began to form over the empire, shimmering when it had grown to its full size. By the time Cadance had finished casting the spell and the color had returned to her eyes, she felt a sharp pain spread like wildfire across her head, which only got worse as she winced in distress.
“Cadance, are you alright?”
Cadence let out a small choked laugh, rubbing her temple with a shaky hoof. “I am fine, Shining Armor. There is no need to worry.”
Shining Armor hadn’t failed to notice that she was lying; Her smile was forced, and her accent had come back thicker than it ever had before. “Come on, we’re going to find you some place to rest.” The two trotted towards the large castle, which was somehow even more imposing from the inside than the outside. With its large empty walls made entirely from gemstones, it felt more like they were walking through a dungeon than a castle.
Shining was surprised to learn that there was someone else within the walls of the palace, a small voice coming from the other end of the hallway, which was probably only reaching him due to the remainders of the echoes. “Dete! Qui-qui est vous?”
Upon seeing that the mystery stallion who was standing at the other end of the hallway was not, in fact King Sombra, the mare gained a large boost of confidence, trotting up to Shining Armor. “What are you doing here, sir?”
“My wife is sick and-” He stopped when he noticed the mare clamp a hoof to her mouth, her cobalt blue eyes widening in surprise.
Cadence hesitated for a moment, then spoke, not even bothering to use her broken English when she already felt this miserable, hoping Shining Armor could handle being kept in the dark for just a few more moments. All she needed to do was rest, and then she could tell him everything. “Si. Sebbenne, Qui est-tu?”
The mare’s ears suddenly flopped as she whispered under her breath. “Ti comprende. Tu as fuera con el tiempo pour un melennio, mi dama.”
Cadance couldn’t decide whether it was out of shock or exhaustion when she let her body crash down onto the floor. It had hurt, yes, and would probably leave some sort of bruise, but at least she was cold now, and that was much needed when she had been burning hotter than her aunt’s sun a few seconds prior.
She felt herself being levitated somewhere else, and when she opened her eyes again they had found a place of respite on the cold crystal balconies of the castle, which provided some sort of relief to Cadance’s feverish skin and the aches and pains that had spread through the rest of her body.
The two had also found some assistance -very limited assistance due to the obvious trauma, but assistance nonetheless- in Cadance’s former crystaller, Star Sapphire. Unlike most of the other ponies in the Crystal Empire, she actually had some training in the English language, due to working so closely with the royal family.
“Alright. Tell me more about King Sombra then.”
“He was a unicorn tyrant that enslaved most of the empire when it was last seen 1000 years ago. He and his soldiers were seemingly invulnerable, and they didn’t spare anyone who they saw as their opposition...including Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s stepfather.”
Both pairs of eyes went wide at this new discovery, Cadance’s soon growing glossy and wet with tears. A moment earlier, she didn’t even remember that she had a stepfather, or barely even a father at all, aside from logic. Now, here she was, piecing all of it together in a single moment.
Information came rushing into her head, although it even felt like they weren’t real memories instead of passages she’d read from her book once upon a time.
Mi Amore Cadenza’s original father, Ruby Crown, was a member of the Crystal Empire’s noble court who had only married her mother for the status. He got the empire’s queen pregnant, then fled the empire to escape the responsibility of raising a foal.
Mi Amore Cadenza stepfather, on the other hoof, had been nothing like that. Goldstone was a member of the Crystal Empire’s Royal Guard who had swiftly found himself more than taken with the Crystal Empress. The two of them got married after a while of closeness, and the rest, as they say, is history.
That was, until Sombra came along. When he had first risen to power, the darkness and hatred in his heart was so powerful that it had even caused a herd of Windigoes to swarm the outskirts of the empire, causing a wave of plague and other illness so strong that it even ended up killing the queen herself. With mass chaos ensuing through the empire, King Sombra was easily able to overtake the throne.
Plunged into grief and despair, Goldstone vowed to defeat King Sombra to avenge his late wife and protect his daughter, although an encounter with Sombra in the frozen tundra proved to be too much for even a great warrior like Goldstone to handle by himself.
Before he had left for his battle, however, he had a spell cast on his daughter to protect her and keep her hidden from King Sombra using the power of her parents’ love for her.
Unfortunately, the spell was broken early, causing her to both lose her memories and be taken to a village away from the empire, where she had been found and raised.
Upon realizing that, her mind stopped, letting silence grow. That hadn’t been in the book, and she had read it cover to cover countless times, to the point where she could quote it word for word if she was given the chance.
The next week of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s life was hectic, to say the least. Spending every waking moment maintaining her shield of love around the Crystal Empire meant that she hadn’t slept since they had first arrived in the empire, and had only eaten when her stomach could no longer bear the hunger pains.
As she felt herself waking up from yet another sleeping spell, Cadance let out a small groan before looking up at her husband. She stared at him for a moment with her exhausted violet eyes, getting a look of concern from Shining Armor in return.
Eventually, he asked her something, breaking her out of her daze. "Do you need anything, Cadance?"
She tried to respond, coughing at first but eventually rasping out an answer. "I-I'm sorry, I'm getting thirsty again. Would you mind getting me some tea?" Shining Armor gave her a small salute as he trotted to the kitchen, and she smiled. Even when she felt as helpless as she did right now, he could always find a way to make her feel loved; And at times like these, when the fate of her entire homeland depended on the love in her heart, that was all she could ask for.
Still, she knew she couldn't hold out like this for much longer. Her being the embodiment of love didn't matter, as there was no denying how exhausted she was. Everypony around her could see the light and hope fading out of her eyes, and the way she could barely stand up by herself for more than five seconds at a time.
No matter how tired she was, Cadance knew that she had to keep on being strong; She had to keep fighting for her rightful place in her kingdom, for her empire and its citizens. Unbeknownst to most of the crystal ponies who lived inside the empire, right outside of her protective barrier was their former dictator king, whose mere name brought panic and could never be spoken inside these borders again without emotional consequence.
From the outskirts of the empire, King Sombra glared down at the pink alicorn, licking his lips fiendishly at the thought of how much he was going to enjoy the fruits of his labor once his plan set into motion. She was trying to take his kingdom and his slaves for herself. None of that bothered him in the moment, because he had a plan.
He waited until the shield was temporarily down, gathered his massive black form, and crossed into the empire, landing directly in front of his empire's false-heiress. He stared down the pink pony, who was practically crumbled under his hooves, and he grinned menacingly at her; Love was weakening. It was time for Fear to take hold once again.
She didn't make a sound at first, barely having enough strength to glare at him. That was a mistake. He shot a small beam of his multi-colored magic at her, and she was instantly under his spell, her eyelids drooping half-shut as she was thrust into her worst nightmare.
It was her wedding day, or it was supposed to have been, anyway. She was back in the caverns beneath Canterlot, or, rather, she had just escaped from them. She rushed for the door, sections of her untamed mane blocking her eyes. She hears her aunt's voice coming from the other side, but she doesn't hesitate, knowing full well what was going on. As she entered the hall, she tried and tried to get closer to Shining Armor, only to be drowned out by the crowd, who was also focused on swarming the newlywed couple.
"Congratulations to the both of you for such a beautiful ceremony."
The other Cadance faked a smile. It was mixed with just the faintest hint of a smirk however, probably because she had noticed her "true" doppelganger standing in the back of the crowd. "Thank you, auntie. I couldn't of done it without your help." She drew Shining Armor's face closer to hers, going in for another kiss on the lips. Surely Princess Celestia could notice the difference in his eyes, so why hadn't she done anything?
Why did Chrysalis have to ruin her special day? She crouched herself down on the ground, sobbing into her hooves. This day, which was supposed to be the most perfect, most special day of her entire life, had just been taken from her right in front of her very eyes.
Thankfully for Cadance, the nightmare ended soon after that, King Sombra seemingly losing the pleasure in torturing Cadance with her worst fears.
Shining Armor saw his wife hunched over and immediately ran to protect her, very nearly losing his grasp on a teacup in the process. "Cadance? Cadance, are you alright, sweetheart? Why are you crying?"
"It's-it's nothing, Shining." Cadence hated lying, especially to him, but there were sometimes she had to do it; Shining Armor was already busy protecting her from everything else, the last thing he needed was another burden on his shoulders. She weakly dried her eyes with one hoof, getting herself back into a steady position with the other three. I just remembered some things that I'd...honestly rather forget, is all." Shining Armor knew what she meant by this, and he quietly held her tighter. No matter what, they would always be together.
It was about an hour later when the last of her magic faded from her horn, the shield finally giving way. Despite her rapidly declining state, Shining Armor was waiting loyally by her side, Twilight searching furiously for the ancient crystal artifact.
Her castle was quickly covered in pitch black obsidian, the light of the heart falling straight downwards, with Spike jumping and fumbling to reach the Crystal Heart. The light of the heart was bright and bold, recharging Cadence’s energy. “Shining…” She panted. “This is going to sound crazy, but throw me off the balcony, please.”
“What? Cadence, you can’t fly right now, you barely have any energy as it is.”
“Trust me. The time is right.” Putting his trust in Cadence, he picked her up and held her over his head, throwing her forward with all of his strength. She glided across the darkening sky, the energy of the Crystal Heart tugging her forward. “Behold! The Crystal Princess has returned!” She heard a voice below her say, the crowd of crystal ponies admiring her victory over King Sombra.
As the Crystal Heart was placed back in its rightful spot in the center of the empire, Cadence flew to the middle of the crowd with her energy restored, and began to speak to her new subjects. “The Crystal Heart has returned. Use the love and light within you to ensure King Sombra does not.” As ribbons of light shot from the tip of the castle and color was restored to the once forgotten empire, Cadence flew back up to the balcony with her body becoming crystal, her husband tackling her in a hug. The two waved to the crowd of their adoring subjects, who cheered in the streets and returned the same affection for their new princess and prince-consort.
