The Phoenix Festival
Prince Shining Armor sat on the edge of his opulent canopy bed, staring down at the remains of the broken lamp which littered the floor. The twisted porcelain fragments reflected the sensations roiling his gut. He and his wife had fought many times before, but never with violence. Why did they both have to lose control over something so trivial?
A soft, almost guilty-sounding knock echoed through the bedchamber door.
Shining leaped up off of the bed and opened the door by hoof, meeting Princess Cadance face to face.
"I was wrong," both ponies said in unison.
"No, it was me," Shining Armor quickly interjected.
"Like Tartarus it was," said Cadance, pushing her way into the room. "I never should have gotten upset in the first place!"
"Maybe it was both—" said Shining, but the protest stopped when his wife's lips locked firmly against his own. One long, passionate kiss later, the stallion found himself lying face up on the bed with his wife atop him.
"Let's never fight again," whispered Cadance, grabbing her husband by the shoulders and peppering his face with wet little kisses.
"Let's do something else instead?" suggested Shining Armor, flipping Cadance about so she now lay beneath him. The motion loudly rocked the bed into the back of the wall.
The princess ran two delicate forehooves down Shining's midsection, pressing firmly against the taut muscles of his barrel. "If we're not careful, the staff might think we're still fighting," she warned him, raising a brow rakishly.
"Buck the staff. Let's wake the whole palace," said Shining, donning a wide grin. He reached out and plucked a small feather from Cadance's wing.
"Ow! What was that for?" she asked.
"You'll see," said Shining, twirling the feather an inch from his wife's navel.
It turned out all the Royal Academy rumors about make-up sex were true.
Shining Armor's vision returned to him slowly. Darkness lifted to an indistinct series of geometric shapes in front of his eyes. He was lying on his back, floating in midair, and drifting slowly. He could see the patterns on the ceiling changing as his body passed through the hallway.
Panic gripped Shining's mind as his body failed to respond to commands. He was paralyzed! An archway passed overhead, and then the night sky greeted his gaze. His vision was very blurry, but one thing was clear: not one, but two identical Moons hung pregnant in the sky above.
I'm dreaming, he realized.
It was a realistic dream, but a dream nonetheless. A light breeze caressed his pelt. His body floated slowly through the palace gardens, taking a turn here or there. Not overly familiar with the area, he soon lost track of where he was.
Then, Shining Armor heard a familiar voice.
"Prince Shining Armor: it is I, Princess Luna. You are at this moment paralyzed within an unusual dream. Do you require my assistance?"
He couldn't see anything but the two Moons above and occasional foliage that drifted into view, but Luna's voice was very close.
Yes, he thought with all his might, but his lips would not respond. A few moments passed in silence.
"You seem to be fine, then. Have a pleasant evening," said Luna.
Shining cursed his luck. At least it's only a dream, he thought to himself as he passed under another archway and down through darkness. He could feel his body descending as it moved, as though he were floating down a ramp or staircase. It was colder here. There was a distinct musty odor.
After his descent stopped, he heard the sound of a metal door hinge and then torchlight met his vision. A crystal ceiling arched far overhead, his eyesight still fuzzy as flickering lights danced off of an irregular grid of crystal facets. Then his body descended straight down until his back felt cool stone kissing against it.
Out of the corner of his vision, Shining Armor could see a cloaked figure standing above him. It was a unicorn, judging from the angular protrusion within the hood.
Then something squeezed his heart like a vice, and everything went bright.
It was the middle of the day. The Crystal Heart spun in the air above him. Shining Armor gasped for breath, sitting upright. He sat beneath the vaulted expanse of the Crystal Palace Arcade, resting upon some kind of a long, padded dais decorated with flowers. He was dizzy, but definitely awake.
All of a sudden, the cheers of a nation-state roared in his ears. An enormous crowd had gathered around the palace on the other side of a rope blocking off the Crystal Palace Arcade. Shining panted rapidly and tried to sit up further, but his wife held him back with a firm hoof.
"Shh. Just relax," she said, and smiled gently down at him as the applause continued. The passion from last night wasn't in her eyes, but her mane...
"Your mane... you have your mantle?" he whispered. Cadance's mane lazily waved in the air behind her, despite the lack of a breeze. It magically shimmered in a myriad of pastel hues and glowed like the radiant Fire of Friendship. Next to her stood Princess Celestia, and the resemblance was uncanny.
"The Phoenix Festival has officially begun!" shouted Princess Cadance, and somehow the crowd roared even louder.
He turned his head and saw Princess Luna standing behind him. Luna reached over and carefully helped him down off of the dais. "It is a large step," she warned him as he hopped onto the crystal flooring. His legs buckled from the effort.
Shining Armor looked out at the throng as he tried to steady himself. Thousands of ponies, all cheering, lined the streets radiating away from the Crystal Palace. The scene was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The palace hadn't changed and the crystal avenues looked similar, but in place of small houses, towering structures cast long shadows across the landscape. The center of his kingdom resembled downtown Manehattan more than the quaint, sprawling city he knew and loved.
"I'll explain once we're inside," said Cadance. "Just wave to the crowd once."
Shining Armor waved to the cheering crowd, proffering a weak smile. Then his wife helped him slowly up the palace steps while Celestia and Luna remained below.
Shining Armor plopped down on a sofa, his legs still shaky. "Love, help me to understand."
"The year is 1147 Anno Solequus," said Princess Cadance, bearing a slight grimace.
His jaw dropped. "That's... what? I've been gone for almost a hundred and forty years?!"
Cadance shook her head. "No. You've been here with me the whole time. You've just lost your memories a few times," she said. "This is the fourth time I've brought you back."
"I don't understand. Back from where?" Shining shifted uncomfortably in his seat, still feeling a little dizzy.
Cadance smiled wanly. "From death," she said. "Now, I realize our vows said, 'until death do us part', but I never took that literally—"
"Wait a minute. This is completely impossible," said Shining, shaking his head. "Nothing can bring a pony back from death, not even the magic of friendship!"
"And yet, here you are," said Cadance, with a shrug.
"Caddy, we both know magic theory. Death is literally the one thing magic cannot fix," he said, staring up into her eyes. "This is completely unreal."
Cadance sat down beside her husband, the mesmerising wave of her beautiful mane capturing his attention. His graceful wife was even more enchanting with her full alicorn mantle on display. Shining's eyes still tilted slightly upwards, and he realized she was taller than him now by at least a hoof.
"Everypony in the Kingdom was surprised the first time it happened," she said.
"How is this possible?" he asked.
"The scholars are stumped, but it appears to come from the unique magic of the Crystal Heart coupled with my love for you."
"I don't even think the Crystal Heart could do this," he said.
"Perhaps my love is the stronger magic of the two, then? I'm serious," she said, taking his hoof firmly in hers. "You mean the world to me, Shining Armor. I'm hardly exaggerating when I say I can't live without you by my side, and with every passing year that love grows even stronger. Your presence in my life is more essential to me than grass or water. Apparently that primal need is strong enough to evoke a miracle. The first time it happened, the event was supposed to be a state funeral. Eventually, the Phoenix Festival evolved into a week-long celebration."
Shining smiled, his eyes glistening. "I love you so much, Cadance. I still can't believe this is real, but I'm glad I get to stick around. Even before we married I used to worry about what would happen after I passed away," he said, then paused in thought. "I guess I just figured you'd find somepony new."
"Wouldn't dream of it," said Cadance, smiling back. "You're my perfect husband. Nopony else can hold a candle to you."
"Heh. Well, you are the Princess of Love," he said with a chuckle. "Dear Celestia... I must have died in my sleep the night after our big fight! How did I die, that first time? Please tell me it wasn't the sex. I don't know if you remember, but the sex was incredible."
Cadance shook her head. "You didn't die back then. The process of rejuvenating your mind requires a reset point, because your brain needs to be physically restored to health," she explained. "Every time you die, the Crystal Heart 'resets' your body and brain to that emotional moment from your youth. We don't know why it chooses that moment, but it's been consistent."
"So... the body I'm in now was old yesterday, and today it transformed into, like, a snapshot of my younger body and brain back from 1009 A.S.?"
"Quite literally, yes."
Shining Armor took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Okay, I suppose that explains why the last thing I remember is that evening," he said. "So, when do we restore my memories? I'd like to do that as soon as possible, obviously."
Cadance visibly winced and shut her eyes. "I'm very sorry, Shiny. We can't restore them."
Shining leaned backwards against the sofa, deep lines marring his forehead. "You're pulling my leg."
"It's a complete physical reset. The memories that were encoded in your brain no longer physically exist," she said, very gently.
"No, wait! Twilight has a memory spell she can use—"
"We can only magically restore memories that have been locked away or forgotten," interrupted Cadance, reaching out to stroke her husband's cheek with a hoof. "In your case, it's like the memories were never there. We considered trying to copy them from your old body before the rejuvenation, but inserting new memories into a brain is an imperfect process. The memories wouldn't feel genuine, and the process could drive you insane. There isn't a solution to this, Shiny. We've tried to find one, and we failed. I'm so sorry."
Shining Armor stared at his hooves. "I can't believe this. I've missed more than a century, and it's just... gone? My old friends must all be dead by now. And my parents... Flurry Heart?"
"She's out travelling at the moment. She isn't present for the Phoenix Festival because she prefers to wait a few weeks before introductions. It gives you more time to get up to speed on what's changed," said Cadance.
"And Twily?" said Shining, his voice rising hopefully.
Cadance looked away from her husband. "She's okay, but you're not on speaking terms at the moment," she said. "It's complicated. Look, we have documents prepared that will help you with the transition..."
Shining laughed dryly. "I... I can't even think," he said. "I go to sleep and I wake up in a different life? What am I supposed to do? I missed my baby growing up! Do we have any other children? Why won't Twily talk to me?"
"This process is always very hard," said Cadance, leaning in close, "but I'm here for you, and I love you, Shiny. We'll get through it together, I promise." She gently coaxed his mane aside with a hoof and pulled him into a tight embrace.
The couple held each other while Shining Armor cried.
The dull roar of crowd conversation and music drifted upwards to the balcony where the royals ate.
"I bet I'll never get used to these skyscrapers," said Shining Armor, holding up his glass to an attendant for more apple juice, "or that new style of flying machine."
"I'll take that wager," said Princess Celestia, with a smile. "Still, it is impressive how quickly things have changed over the past century. Even Canterlot scarcely looks the same."
"I'm sorry we're not down there eating with our people. I just don't want to mingle right now," he said to Princess Cadance. "I'll walk about the city soon, maybe later today if I feel up to it."
"It's fine, dear, even if you want to hole up in the palace for the rest of the festival. They can see us eating up here from down below... that should be enough," she replied.
Moments later, a pegasus mare floated up to the balcony, followed by a guard.
"Crystal Princess, please!" she cried, kneeling on the edge of the balcony. "Please bring my young colt back to me, I beg you!"
"We didn't see her," said the pegasus guard, landing next to the mare. He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Wait," said Princess Cadance, standing up from the table and pausing for a moment to choose her words. "Madam, I am truly sorry for your loss. If your request were within my power to grant, I would gladly do so. But the Crystal Heart does not allow me to return anypony other than my husband."
The mare cried openly and shook her head. "P-please forgive a grieving mother," she sobbed, lowering her face.
"I'm so sorry," said Cadance. "Guard, please take her down the stairway so she needn't fly."
Everypony waited in silence until the mare had left the balcony.
"Well, that was awkward," said Shining Armor, taking a drink. "If I weren't still feeling a little giddy, I'd gladly take cider over this juice."
"Some ponies mistakenly believe Princess Cadance has the ability to return anypony from the dead, but only chooses to use the ability on you," said Celestia. "It's not an unreasonable theory. If anypony at all could be brought back from the dead, it might be imprudent to use the ability on an entire nation."
"So I'm the only one in the world it works on, then? Lucky me, I guess," said Shining, as he toyed with his salad with a fork.
"You seem to be managing quite well, Prince Shining Armor," said Princess Luna. "All things considered."
Shining chuckled. "It's an act. I'm still in shock," he said. "Oh, I've been meaning to ask you something. Do you interpret dreams?"
Luna smiled. "As well as anypony, I suppose. Though your sister assists me these days in managing the dreams of the afflicted."
Out of the corner of Shining Armor's eye, he could see his wife rapidly shaking her head. Luna cleared her throat noisily.
"Right... huh, that's good to hear," said Shining. "Anyway, I had a very unusual dream I was hoping to get some insight with."
"The one with the twin Moons," said Luna.
"Yes! You were there, do you remember it?"
"Sadly, I do not. Apart from the second Moon, the dream was unremarkable so I had no cause to make note of the details. You see, many decades passed before your first rebirth indicated the dream occurred at a portentous moment," said Luna. "Thus, your recollection—with which I am already very familiar—is the only reference I have."
"Dang. I was hoping you might've seen something I couldn't," said Shining Armor between bites of salad. "Like the identity of the hooded unicorn. It was such a vivid dream... You said you're familiar with my memory of it. Does it mean anything?"
Luna shrugged. "Dreams do not always have precisely defined meanings, but there are general facts which are clear. Subconsciously, you felt helpless and adrift, which is not unusual given your station at the time as a relatively new regent in charge of the prosperity of an entire nation," she said. "The unicorn likely represented Princess Cadance, given your mutual conflict from the previous evening, a memory with which Celestia and I are also acquainted. The fight was an event which, being fresh in your mind, still weighed heavily upon your ego."
Shining Armor finished his glass of juice in a single gulp. "I see," he said, taking a deep breath. "That makes sense. But what about the double Moon?"
For a moment, Luna looked away from the table. "Perhaps the Lunar duality also represented the relationship between you and your beloved? I do not know for certain," she said. "One should take care not to read too much into a dream, Shining Armor."
"You always obsess over that crazy dream," said Cadance, leaning over to wipe a bit of salad dressing from her husband's chin groove.
"Well, it's the last thing I can remember," said Shining.
"If I were you, I'd obsess over the next-to-last thing I remembered," said Princess Celestia, with a wink.
"Auntie!" said Cadance, blushing furiously.
Shining Armor laughed, then leaned over and kissed Cadance on the cheek. "I guess there are no secrets at this table!" he said. "When I'm feeling a little more stable, I'll be very happy to relive that bit of my past."
A stack of books sat on the central table in the den.
"These are your journals from lives two, three, and four," said Princess Cadance, pointing to the stack. "They cover all the major events you experienced, from your perspective. In each life you elaborate more as time goes by, but you should be able to read them all before the festival ends if you pace yourself."
"What about my first life?" asked Shining Armor. "That's the most important one."
"You didn't know you were going to come back from the dead. I tried to get you to journal anyway, but you never took to it. So I ended up writing this for you," she said, hoofing him another large book. "It's less personal coming from me, but it chronicles Flurry Heart growing up, the passing of your parents, and all the subjects you probably care the most about. There are plenty of photographs."
"Thanks," said Shining, adding a deep sigh as he sat down in an easy chair. "What about Twily?"
Cadance paused. "That happened shortly after your second rebirth, so it's in this one," she said, pointing to the middle of the stack. "The situation is complicated, but the short answer is you don't really know why she won't talk to you anymore. She still loves you very much, however. It'd be better for you to read through the history of it and make your own interpretations than listen to me."
Shining frowned, idly flipping through one of the books. "This doesn't make any sense," he said. "Can't you talk to her for me? I wouldn't go two lifetimes without making amends with my baby sister. The two of us were inseparable."
"I really don't know what else to tell you, hon. We can talk more after you're caught up, okay?" said Cadance, walking over to the chair. "Oh, and this is for you," she said, hoofing him a small note. Shining Armor unfolded the note and read it.
Dear future me (a.k.a. Prince Shining Armor the Fifth),
Welcome to the future! I'm sure you're feeling at least as overwhelmed as I was, but you're still young. I have no doubt you'll quickly adapt to this world and all its bizarre newfangled gadgets.
Princess Cadance hasn't changed at all over the past century. I can attest to the fact that she's the same headstrong firecracker we married. Her love for us hasn't dimmed one iota, grace be to Friendship.
As my time nears its end, I have a final request for my future self. I need you to take good care of my wife, Shining Five. I'm counting on you to step into these old horseshoes and make them yours.
Your "older brother",
Prince Shining Armor the Fourth
"Wow. It doesn't even feel like I wrote this," said Shining Armor. "I mean, I recognize my hornwriting, but... it's so surreal."
"You... grew a great deal over the past sixty years," whispered Cadance. She sighed and closed her eyes.
"I have a lot of growing to do again, I suppose," he replied, then yawned and stretched his neck. "You know, I'm still feeling a little fatigued. Shouldn't I see a doctor after everything that's happened?"
"You'll be fine, love," said Cadance, her voice perking up. "You did just come back from the dead a few hours ago."
"Which is why I should get a check-up, don't you think...?" Shining raised a curious brow.
"Well, we've done this three times before," she said, petting her husband's forelock with a hoof. "The Crystal Heart returns you good as new every time. You're a little disoriented on the first day, as usual. But if you insist, we can have the palace doctors run a complete physical on you, to ease your mind."
"No, I guess it's okay," said Shining, standing back up and setting the note down. "The dizziness is gone now, at least. I guess I'm just feeling a little... overwhelmed, in general."
"It's completely understandable, Shiny. This is a lot for anypony to go through, both physically and psychologically." Cadance's eyes began to water. "We've been through it three times before, and we'll get through it a fourth. Together."
"I'm sure we will," said Shining, briefly embracing her. "Just looking at this stack of memories is exhausting me, though. I think I'd rather head into the city and immerse myself in some culture shock. Is that okay?"
Cadance smiled brightly. "Of course it is! Just don't overdo it."
As Shining Armor walked down the staircase, he could see ropes in the distance still blocking ponies from approaching the Crystal Palace Arcade. The entire area here was vacant except for the prominent dais.
Curious, he approached the dais and examined it closely. It was unusually large, and on one side of the flat surface he'd awoken on was set a small circular impression.
"I wonder if this is a keyhole," he murmured. "Haspis." His horn and the impression both glowed a light rose color as the unlocking spell worked its magic. A soft sound of sliding metal echoed from within the dais. With a hoof he gently pushed against the surface, tilting it inwards to reveal a pony-sized space inside the platform. Though the secret chamber was obvious from up close, he realized it wouldn't be visible to the distant crowd even when fully opened.
"They must use it as a coffin just prior to the ceremony," he said, locking the surface back into place. "I guess that makes sense." The thought of lying dead inside the box made his pelt crawl, but he brushed the feeling aside and walked down to the rope where a guard allowed him through.
As he wandered into the crowd, smiling ponies parted to allow him passage. Small booths were set up along the sidewalks, offering random services from face painting to fast food. The carnival-like atmosphere contrasted sharply with the towering skyscrapers and office buildings.
"Welcome back, Sire!" called a crystal mare. Her friends giggled and blushed.
"Thanks," he replied, waving at them with a shy smile.
Wandering the streets of a metropolis felt strange and disconcerting. After several minutes of walking, Shining looked up at a tall building adorned with a red raindrop shape. He paused for a moment in thought, then trotted up to the building and stopped in front of the glass door.
"Huh. This door doesn't have a handle," he said out loud. He leaned forward experimentally with a hoof, and the door slid open automatically. "Magic. Awesome," he said, and walked inside.
Inside, the building was air-conditioned and well-lit. The entry area was a waiting room of sorts. Several ponies were seated here, one of them clearly sick with a cold. Shining Armor walked up to the nurse at the front desk.
"My Prince," said the nurse, and he stood and bowed.
"Please, just call me Shining Armor," he said.
"Of course, Shining Armor. What can I do for you?"
"I was hoping I could see a doctor," said Shining.
The nurse's eyes went wide. "Heavenly Sun! Are you alright?" he asked, dropping his clipboard.
"I'm fine, no worries. The palace has its own medical staff anyway, doesn't it?"
The nurse nodded. "Of course, Sire," he said, and chuckled. "I suppose you're the pony who least needs our care, to be completely honest."
Shining smiled. "Yeah, I guess so. Still, I'd like to speak with a doctor about something private. I don't want to put myself ahead of anypony, though."
"None of our patients waiting are in serious condition. Come with me," said the nurse. He led the prince down the hallway and into a waiting room. "A doctor will be with you shortly."
The nurse shut the door behind him, and Shining Armor looked around the room. It looked like every other clinic waiting room he'd ever been in, except for a strange metal box with a colorful light display. He didn't have time to examine it, because within moments there was a knock at the door.
"Prince?" said the doctor as she entered and shut the door behind her. She was a blue crystal pony with a stone tablet for a cutie mark. "My name is Doctor Lithograph. What seems to be the matter?"
"Nice to meet you, doc. This is going to be a little strange, but I was wondering if I could get a full physical with blood work?" he asked.
"I see. Is there a reason you aren't doing this at the palace?" she asked, furrowing her brow. "I don't know what the standard practice is after your... rejuvenation."
"Well, with everything going on, I don't want Cadance to worry about me being a hypochondriac," said Shining Armor. "I'm just curious if anything is unusual."
The doctor nodded. "Are you having symptoms?"
Shining Armor shrugged. "Well... initially I was little dizzy following the, um, the 'event', but I'm doing much better now. I feel like a million bits, to be honest. I suppose all of this is normal for somepony brought back from the dead by the Crystal Heart."
Doctor Lithograph laughed. "I suppose so! They don't teach us how that works in University, but if you find out, do let me know. I'd gladly be put out of a job."
It took about ten minutes for the doctor to complete the physical.
"Everything looks normal, as expected," she said. "You appear to be a very healthy young stallion, with emphasis on 'young'. I'll have you go down the hall to get your blood drawn, and we can send the results to the palace tomorrow."
"Sure. Could you have them sent to me directly?" asked Shining Armor.
"I don't see why not," said the doctor.
After a long walk around the city, Shining Armor returned to the palace grounds in the early evening. He began to wander around the Eastern gardens: the greenery surrounding the Eastern pillar of crystal supporting the tripod-like palace's structure.
"I wonder..." he said, and cantered to the palace's East entrance, staring up at the staircase. Of the three entrances to the palace, this one was the nearest the royal bedchambers. He turned around and faced the gardens, then began to carefully retrace the path from his dream.
"Forward... it was rather slow, so the right turn would have been here at the main walkway," he said aloud, taking a right onto a large stone path. "Then a left, and a right... one more right, about here, and forward—"
Shining Armor stopped in his tracks, having nearly bumped into a large tree. It was planted in a small patch of earth mostly disconnected from the rest of the gardens, and it stood directly in front of the palace wall.
Shining stepped behind the tree and felt the smooth crystal with his hoof. There was an impression of an archway here, something like a blind arcade.
"Hello, Prince. Welcome back," came a voice. Shining Armor turned to see an elderly crystal mare. She wore a set of gardening equipment on her saddle.
"Hello, and thank you," said Shining Armor. "Enjoying the Phoenix Festival?"
She smiled. "Very much. Didn't know if I'd live long enough to see it, but when they started the planning a few weeks ago, my odds went up."
Shining Armor smiled. "Congratulations, then. Hopefully you still have many years left within you," he said. "Hay, may I ask you something? Has this portion of the wall always been here?"
The mare raised a brow. "The impression in the arch there, yes? I can't rightly say," she said. "It's been here at least as long as I've been a royal gardener. That tree in front of it is much older than I am, as well."
"Ah, I see," said Shining Armor, dropping his head low. He turned and began to walk away.
"You know," said the mare, "King Sombra frequently used to remodel the base of the palace, or so the history books say. Given time and effort, the crystal structure can be mageworked through dark magic. Fortunately, this lies well beyond the abilities of most unicorns, or we'd run the risk of vandalism."
Shining Armor turned back and nodded. "That's very interesting. Thanks for your time, madam...?"
"Greenhoof," she said, with a bow. "And it's my pleasure to serve, my Prince."
Shining Armor lay awake in bed, unable to quiet his thoughts. It was at least an hour after Cadance fell asleep that unconsciousness finally took him.
He awoke to find himself seated once again in the Eastern gardens. The world had an ethereal quality to it, and he soon realized he was dreaming. There was only one Moon in the sky, however.
He stood up and looked around. The color of the flowers and plants was intensifying before his eyes as his lucidity increased.
"This is growing too real. I'll probably wake up any moment," he mused aloud.
Then he turned and noticed a large figure approaching him. It was Princess Twilight Sparkle, his sister. As she approached, he could see that his little sister was now bigger than he was. Her mantle billowed in the air, despite the lack of any breeze, shimmering with the glowing colors of an already-faded sunset as little streaks of light shot through it.
"Twily?" he said. "That's... that's not really you... is it?"
Twilight walked forward and embraced her brother tightly, nosing at his neck. It felt far too real to be a dream, now.
Shining Armor broke the hug and shook his head. "This... oh gosh, it's actually you! You're dreamwalking in my dream, or it wouldn't feel this realistic," he realized. "Oh, Twily. Cadance said you weren't talking to me anymore!"
Twilight Sparkle held up a hoof to her lips in a 'shhh' motion.
"Not talking to me... wait, she meant that literally?" he said.
Twilight smiled and reached forward with a hoof to stroke her brother's neck.
"Well, this makes no sense," said Shining, sitting down on the path. "But neither does any sort of rift between us. It's so good to see you."
After a moment, Twilight sat down next to Shining Armor and motioned to the sky. A series of beautiful shooting stars zipped by overhead.
Shining laughed. "You always did like astronomy. You and Luna have a lot in common. It's kind of fitting that you'd help her out at night."
Twilight leaned against her brother and sighed.
"I guess I have to do all the talking, then? I wish I knew what to say," he said. "Everything is different. I missed Flurry Heart growing up, the world around me has changed, I miss our parents... I could really use somepony else to talk to, you know."
Shining Armor looked into Twilight's eyes. She brushed aside a tear.
"I'm guessing this lack of communication isn't entirely your choice," he said, and frowned resolutely. "I'll get to the bottom of this, Twilight. I won't rest until everything is out in the open."
Twilight embraced Shining again, then stood up and began to walk away.
For a moment, Shining paused in thought. Then he called out to Twilight, "I don't suppose you know any way I could pass through a solid crystal wall, do you?"
Twilight turned her head and smiled a sad smile. Then she vanished, and the dream began to fade.
Early the next morning, Shining Armor went to the palace study. He began to read from the first journal of his third life, looking for details on why his sister had stopped speaking to him.
Shining Three seemed equally confused about the situation. Twilight Sparkle had opted not to attend the second Phoenix Festival, and shortly thereafter cut off all communications for no discernible reason. Additionally, Shining Three wrote extensively about the dream with two Moons, convinced it held some hidden meaning despite his wife's insistence he let it go.
Shining Armor was deep in thought when a guard coughed loudly to announce his arrival.
"Huh?" Shining said, looking up.
The guardspony held a letter. "Message for you, Sire," he said.
"Thanks," said Shining Armor, taking the letter. "Hay, this is a random question, but... do you suppose psychology has come a ways over the past century?" he asked the guard.
"Sire?" said the guard, his eyes widening. "Ah, I wouldn't rightfully know, but probably. Most everything has come a ways in the past century, as I suppose you've noticed."
"Indeed. Do we have any books on the topic here in the palace?"
The guard pursed his lips for a moment. "The Grand Library of the Crystal Empire would be the best place to look, my Prince."
"Ah, yes! Is it in the same location it was back in Sombra's day?" asked Shining.
The guard didn't even flinch at the name, which took Shining by surprise. "I believe so, Sire. Much larger now, though."
Shining nodded. "Thanks," he said, then waved the guard off.
The letter read:
Prince Shining Armor:
All of your lab results came back normal for a non-fasting series. You should watch your intake of cholesterol, but even with that considered you're one of the healthiest stallions we've ever tested—in comparison with your apparent age bracket of a unicorn in his late twenties, of course.
There is one unusual finding: your blood showed traces of unidyazoline, a common paralytic agent most often used in conjunction with general anesthesia in unicorns because it inhibits magic. This indicates that shortly prior to your rejuvenation by the Crystal Heart you were sedated, possibly to make the rebirthing process more comfortable, but that is pure speculation on my part. In any case, that should fully explain your lingering dizziness. You would need to ask the palace doctors to find out precisely why this drug was administered.
Attached you will find the formal results.
Shining Armor placed the letter into his saddlebags and took off for the library.
The Grand Library of the Crystal Empire was significantly larger than Shining Armor remembered. The entire first floor was littered with desks featuring strange colored light screens like the one in the clinic room.
"Can I help you, my Prince?" asked a crystal stallion as Shining stood gawking at one of the displays.
"Um, yes. I'm looking for information on dream interpretation," said Shining Armor. "Where are the card catalogs?"
"You can use one of the computers, here," said the librarian.
"Computer?" asked Shining Armor. "This thing?"
The librarian's mouth opened wordlessly for a moment. "Oh. Right, you don't recall. Well, I can help you. It's simple. Just touch the screen," he said.
Shining Armor's horn glowed, and the image on the screen warped and distorted itself. "I don't think I'm doing this right."
"Not with your magic," said the librarian, touching a button. A buzzing sound emanated from the screen and it restored itself. "Use a hoof, like so." The librarian touched part of the screen and a small visual window opened.
"Oh, neat," said Shining Armor. "So, how does this take the place of a card catalog?"
"It takes the place of a lot of things," said the librarian. He tapped a small oval icon and spoke, "Show me the history of the Yakyakistan Empire." The screen responded with a page of text and pictures.
"That's amazing! It's like there's a book inside the screen," said Shining Armor, staring closely at the monitor. "Magic's come a long way in the past century."
"It's actually not magic. Only the power source is magic, the rest is technology, believe it or not," said the librarian. "Anyway, this thing on the right is a scrollbar. You can tap it to move up and down through the text, or slide your hoof anywhere on the page for the same effect. Tapping on underlined words will take you to other articles. I think you can figure out the rest with a little trial and error."
"Thanks," said Shining Armor, and the librarian walked away.
"Pfft. Just magic by another name, if you ask me." Shining tapped the oval and spoke. "Show me information on dream symbolism," he said. The screen responded. Then he sat down in front of the computer and began to read.
More than an hour of searching and reading passed. Shining Armor sighed as he flipped through the same articles he'd seen before. "Love, romance, change, rebirth... the Moon symbolizes practically everything," he mumbled to himself. "Yet I can't find a single reference to twin Moons anywhere."
He paused for a long moment, then reached into his saddlebags and retrieved the letter. "Show me... unidyazoline," he said, and a page of information covered the screen.
Unidyazoline, under the trade name Hornizam (among others) is a Class-G medication used for magic suppression in unicorn ponies. It can be given orally, intramuscularly, or intravenously and is most commonly indicated as an adjunct to twilight sedation anesthesia. When administered alone, main effects include magic suppression, muscle paralysis, and double vision...
Double vision, thought Shining Armor. And twin Moons...
Shining felt his pulse quicken. "What if it wasn't a dream?" he whispered. "But then Luna would have to be lying..."
Even worse, he realized. She was there when it happened.
Shining Armor stood up and galloped for the door.
"Where is Princess Luna?" asked Shining Armor, cantering into the throne room.
"She and Princess Celestia left last night," said Princess Cadance. "They only planned to stay for the first day of the festival."
"Dammit. I needed to talk to her," he said, stomping a hoof against the floor.
"Is this still about the dream?" asked Cadance, a look of concern marring her delicate features. "I wasn't exaggerating when I said you obsess over it."
Shining Armor's jaw clenched. "Cadance, would you ever hide something important from me?"
Princess Cadance froze in place. Her mane drifted hypnotically in the air behind her throughout a pregnant pause. "I would do absolutely anything to make you happy, Shiny. You know that. You should read your journals."
Shining was about to press the issue, but a guard entered the room to speak. "Visitor for Shining Armor, from Friendlandia," he announced.
"Friendlandia?" asked Shining Armor.
"That's what Twilight named her kingdom," said Cadance, placing a hoof over her face. "It's an enclave within central Equestria. You should really read those journals."
"That's terrible. Horsefeathers. Didn't you tell her that was a terrible name?" said Shining, cringing. "Somepony should have said something."
"We all did, Shiny. We all did."
"Announcing the Great and Honorable Spike, the Brave and Glorious," said the guard, and in walked a dragon Celestia's size.
"Shining Armor?" called Spike, as he trotted over on all fours.
"Spike! Wow, you've really grown," said Shining Armor, warmly embracing his friend.
"Heh, yeah, it happens. And you look young. Again," he said. "I can't stay more than a minute, I'm afraid. I was flying by the area, and I just wanted to stop by to congratulate you and wish you well." One of his claws pressed firmly against Shining Armor's saddlebags.
"Thanks. We should catch up sometime, though," said Shining Armor. "Um... Any word from Twilight?"
Spike leaned back and shook his head. "I can't speak for her. I thought you knew."
"He still needs to read up," said Cadance.
"Ah, right. She loves you, BBBFF. That's all I can say," said Spike, flexing his wings. "I figure you know that would never change, though."
"I understand," said Shining Armor. "I mean, I don't really, but you know what I mean."
"Right. Well, good luck!" said Spike. He gave Shining another hug, then hugged Cadance as well. Then he turned and trotted back out of the throne room. The guard saluted the dragon as he passed.
"Alright. I'm going to go have a look at those journals now," said Shining Armor.
The muscles in Cadance's jaw visibly relaxed. "I think that would be an excellent idea," she said.
Shining left the throne room and headed to the den. Upon arriving, he shut the door to the study and opened his saddlebags.
Sure enough, Spike had slipped something inside. It was a small scroll. Shining opened it up and whispered the title aloud...
"Passwall spell."
Shining Armor waited until his wife began to snore before escaping the bed. He quickly cantered down the Eastern staircase, miniature scroll in tow. After a brief detour through the Eastern gardens, he stood adjacent a tall tree, facing the blind arcade.
"I have no idea what I'm doing. This stupid wall probably doesn't even go anywhere," he murmured. "Lucky I'm talented enough to evoke this level of magic..."
Shining carefully cast the spell and a magic hole appeared in the crystal, large enough for him to step through. On the other side was a staircase.
"Sweet Celestia," he whispered, then stepped into the hole. He let the passwall spell expire behind him but kept levitating the scroll alongside. His aura provided minimal rose-colored illumination in the otherwise pitch blackness of the stairwell.
Down he walked. The musty smell flooded him with recent memories of his 'dream'. After an extended drop, he reached a landing with a large metal door. It was locked.
"This time I don't need you, little sis," he said, casting Haspis on the door to the satisfying sound of a 'click'. He opened the door and walked into the light, then immediately dropped the scroll on the stone floor.
Shining Armor stood in a vaulted room beneath the palace, lit by a multitude of glowing crystal pillars. Embedded in every pillar lay a frozen image of Shining Armor's body, stretched out in the exact same position. Each copy had its eyes wide open in a look of shock. Four of the pillars had been shattered, but dozens more remained.
"What is this...?" he said, examining one of the pillars. There was something surreal about seeing yourself from outside the confines of a mirror, let alone with a look of horror frozen on your face.
"I had to marry a genius," came a tired voice from behind him. "Not just the captain of the hoofball team, but a raging dork with an intellect to rival his sister."
Shining Armor turned around to see his wife. She had a look of deep fatigue on her face, one reaching beyond that of a pony recently awakened.
"Caddy... what did you do?" he asked, his voice aquiver.
Cadance walked up to her husband and closed her eyes. "I couldn't handle it when you died on me, Shiny. You promised to spend your life with me, but your life... it's so short," she said. "So I traveled backwards in time to the evening of your dream, and I... I made copies."
"C-copies?" he whispered.
Cadance nodded slowly. "I needed you to be young, but I didn't want to reset all the growth we'd had together. That evening we fought was a major turning point in our relationship, so I chose then to make the clones."
"You convinced Princess Luna to go back in time with you and make backup copies of your husband?" he said, taking a step back.
"Almost. I recruited Luna from the past after I time traveled, and she kept my plan a secret from everypony until your first passing. Same difference, I suppose," she said, cocking her head tiredly to one side. "We needed you to be conscious for the spell to work, so it was her idea to masquerade the drug as a dream."
"...I see. So is this why Twilight won't speak to me?" asked Shining.
"We forbade her to tell you, and she wants you to be happy. But hiding the truth is much harder for her than the rest of us. She hexed herself to prevent the possibility of letting you know," she said. "Now that you know, she'll probably elect to remove the hex. So that's nice, at least."
Shining shook his head and placed a hoof against his chest. "I don't even know what to think, Cadance. I'm just... some copy of your husband!"
"You ARE my husband," countered Cadance, placing her hooves on his shoulders. "I love you, and I need you by my side, Shiny. This nightmare you see around you... this is evidence of how badly I need your love!"
"It isn't fair—I should have been the one to see Flurry grow up!" said Shining Armor, angrily pushing Cadance away. "I didn't sign on to be a 'spare'. I didn't ask to be sent to the future!"
"Would you rather not exist?" asked Cadance, her eyes watering. "I know this is hard, but think about how I must feel, Shiny."
Shining Armor sat down on the stone floor, leaning back against one of his doppelgängers' crystal columns. A minute passed in silence.
"I can't blame you," he finally said, pausing to brush away a tear. "I just don't really know if you're the same mare I married. It's been too long, and I haven't been around. And don't say I have been, because you know exactly what I mean."
"I'm the same mare," promised Cadance, kneeling beside him. "My love for you hasn't changed with the passing years. If anything, it's only gotten stronger."
A few more tears rolled down Shining's cheeks, and he wiped them with a fetlock. "I believe you, hon. I just feel so expendable right now," he said.
"That's funny, because nothing could be further from the truth," said Cadance. "You're indispensable to me. That's kind of the point."
"What if I up and left you? Would you just... thaw out another one and start over?" he asked, grimacing.
Cadance blanched, and her eyes widened. "I... no, of course not! Not until you passed away," she said. "But that would be horrible. You've never done that to me. Dear Celestia, I hope you wouldn't be able to do that to me."
"Never done...? I figured this out before, didn't I?"
Cadance nodded. "You did the first time. You agreed to keep it a secret from yourself. The other two times, you were unaware," she said.
"Ah. So that's why Twilight didn't stop talking to me until the second festival." Shining Armor sighed. "I can't let you hide this from me again, Cadance. I know it's the easy solution, but I can't believe I agreed to keep this a secret from myself. It's not worth Twilight's silence. I completely understand why we have to keep this a secret from the nation, but I deserve to know."
A doubtful look crossed Cadance's face. "That's what you initially said after your first rebirth—"
"This is not a 'rebirth'," corrected Shining, with a scowl.
"Whatever you want to call it," said Cadance. "You might find yourself changing your mind in time. But, as before, it will be entirely your decision."
"This wasn't my decision, it was a decision made by another copy of me," said Shining. Without standing up, he reached over and pulled his wife in close. "I'm not happy about the secrecy, and I don't know if I'm ready to forgive you for what you've done... I don't even know if I'm ready to contemplate what any of this means... but I still love you, Cadance. I don't want to see you suffer."
Cadance latched onto her husband and held him tightly, and he gently pet her glowing mane with a hoof. Several minutes passed in the embrace.
"Can we go back upstairs soon? I don't ever want to see this place again," Shining finally asked, averting his eyes from all the ghastly copies.
"I have a spell that can help you sleep," offered Cadance. "When we get back to bed, I mean."
"I'll definitely take you up on that," said Shining Armor as he rose slowly to his hooves. "We can talk about this more in the morning."
He helped Cadance stand up, and then she began to lead him toward the exit.
As Shining Armor followed his wife up the darkened staircase, he had a nagging feeling he was forgetting something important, but the emotional exhaustion filling his barrel forced him to push the thought aside.
Shining Armor woke up groggily to an empty bed. Sounds of festival revelry in the distance confirmed it was already the middle of the day.
"When she told me that spell would knock me out, she wasn't kidding," he said, squinting and shaking his head. He stood up and stretched, then noticed a note on the end table.
Meet me in the Eastern gardens after you wake up.
Shining took a long shower and pondered the many copies of himself frozen beneath the palace. He thought about his marriage, about how much Cadance meant to him, and about his role as her husband.
The horror of what she'd done was fading. What felt like emotional hot pepper in his eyes from last night was now at best a mild burn. Shining brushed his teeth, took a few minutes to calm his mind, then headed to the gardens.
It didn't take long to find Cadance. She was seated on the main path, smelling a patch of flowers.
"Good morning, darling," she said, rising to meet him. He could see the worry on her face.
He walked up to his wife and nuzzled against her neck. "Good afternoon, more like. I guess I should be used to waking up in the future by now, though," he said, grinning sheepishly. "Er... bad joke."
"No, it's good to be able to make light of things," she said, kissing his cheek. "I took the liberty of ordering the staff and the guard to stay away from the Eastern gardens so we could have some privacy today. Nothing to do about the loud sounds of joy from our subjects in the distance, but I still find the outdoors more relaxing." She motioned around the gardens with a hoof.
"It's nice to hear our subjects, actually," said Shining, and he sat down on the path, holding a hoof out to Cadance. "Anyway, I've been thinking..."
Princess Cadance took Shining's hoof and sat beside him, biting at her lower lip. "Yes?"
Shining Armor sighed. "If you really love me so much you want to live my life with me over and over... I can't fault you for what you've done. And I'm glad to be here with you for a small part of your life," he said. "But you have an obligation to all of those Shining Armors down there. Do you agree with me?"
Cadance took a deep breath. "I do, Shiny. I plan to love each and every one of them," she said, then placed her hoof in his. "But that doesn't make your life any less special to me."
"I know," he said, and laughed. "Gosh. I wonder what relationship problems normal ponies have to deal with. I always knew being married to an alicorn would be special, but this is ridiculous..." Shining looked into his wife's eyes, but his vision blurred as he stared through her into the distance.
"Shiny? Are you still with me?" she asked, tilting her head.
His brow furrowed as his vision refocused. "Oh, I was just lost in thought for a moment. I was talking to the gardener here the night before last," he said. "You know, she said something about the Phoenix Festival being planned weeks in advance..."
Princess Cadance pressed her lips tightly together for a moment and gripped Shining's hoof tighter. "It's our nation's biggest holiday," she said. "It only comes once in a lifetime, after all."
Shining's brow wrinkled up as he looked Cadance directly in the eyes. "Cadance, how did you know when I was going to die?"
"Hmm?" said Cadance. Two beads of perspiration formed on her forehead, despite a cool breeze blowing through the garden.
Shining Armor let go of his wife's hoof. "Medicine may have advanced a long way, but you couldn't possibly have predicted the day I was going to die," he said, his mouth hanging slightly agape.
"You were in very poor health, Shiny. You dealt with chronic pain and you didn't have much time left," said Cadance, frowning.
"Was I terminally ill? I spoke with a doctor and she suggested I was alive shortly before the rejuvenation," he said, taking shallow breaths. "How did you know when I would die?"
Cadance's face hardened, and she swallowed an empty gulp of air. "Shiny, try to relax. I need you to not overreact about this."
"No. There's no way this is happening," said Shining Armor, shaking his head. "I... I can't believe this."
"You volunteered for rebirth," said Cadance, very gently. "You were ready to go. It was your choice."
"You... you killed me?" he whispered, his lips trembling. "Caddy, no..."
Cadance smiled with wet eyes as her mascara began to run. "You were suffering. You wanted to pass on, Shiny. You knew you were going to lose all your memories—"
Shining gasped and scrambled up to a standing position on shaky legs. "You killed me and I didn't even know I was going to die?" he said. "Cadance, that's... that's not even assisted suicide, that's cold-blooded murder!"
"You knew you would lose all of your memories!" said Cadance, standing up. She wiped away a smudgy tear with a fetlock. "Of course I wasn't going to tell you the truth. Why would I want you to suffer right at the end? You were looking forward to being reborn!"
"But I wasn't reborn! I was murdered!" said Shining Armor. A tear rolled into his muzzle, salty and bitter.
"Honey, it's the same damn thing!" snarled Cadance, stomping a hoof.
"W-what?" he croaked.
Cadance sniffled and smeared her makeup with a foreleg. "It's the same thing, Shining. Losing all your memories is the exact same thing as dying! You knew you were losing everything that made you who you were. The only difference is philosophical masturbation," she said. "In the end, my husband is still alive. You're right here."
Shining stared down at the ground as a moment of silence passed. "Well, if that's true... I want to forget everything that's happened over the past two days," he said, his voice low and soft. "So, just do it. Kill me again, and start over with a new one."
"Shiny, don't talk like this!" whispered Cadance, leaning in toward her husband as black tracks ran down her cheeks.
Shining backed off from his wife. "Why not? It's just forgetting, and I want to forget. What's the difference?" he said, and barked a manic-sounding laugh. "Your husband will still be alive. That's what matters, isn't it?"
Cadance collapsed onto the pathway and began to sob.
At least a minute passed before she felt Shining Armor's warm legs encircling her.
"P-please don't hate me," she whimpered, hiding her face in her hooves.
"You took my life from me, in more ways than one," he said. "But I can't hate you. You're all I have left... and truth be told, I never stopped loving you."
"What do you want me to do?" whispered Cadance, looking up to her husband, her face a wet mess. "I'll do anything for you, Shining Armor."
"I... I don't know," said Shining, and he sighed as he held his wife close. "This is uncharted territory for anypony, isn't it? I'm stuck in this time period, so there's nothing you can do to help me. I'll never get to see Flurry grow up..."
"You'll get to see other things," said Cadance. "We can have another child, Shiny. I didn't want to after Flurry Heart, but... I would if you wanted. Anything can happen. You still have your whole life ahead of you."
Shining Armor nodded solemnly. "And dozens more yet to come," he pointed out.