Game of Ponies

            Twilight Sparkle and her friends stepped off the train they had begun exchanging banter, the lot had praised Fluttershy on recently coming out of her shell, Applejack separated from the group to tend to her goods, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo quickly following to go meet up with Applebloom, soon Twilight encouraged them to continue to the gates, the weather, that is, the wind, was calm today, one could clearly see the mountains of the north, it was true that they were larger than the mountains of the Unicorn Range, the banter continued. "Hey Twilight!" Pinkie squealed, "Are we gonna get some royal seating?"

            Twilight replied bluntly, "Yes, Pinkie.." She looked up at the guard tower and felt uneasy, an unexpected rush of worry and what felt like guilt rushed over her, as she walked ever further to the gates. stretching all the way to the train station were vendors, selling all sorts of tools, jewelry, random assortments of wooden trinkets and puzzles, Twilight encouraged her friends not to buy anything, knowing that at least Pinkie Pie would be going through the gates with something she didn't need.

            The five ponies eventually reached the open gates of the magnificent crystal city they made their way a few blocks down the main road before they were all stopped by guard carriages, "Princess Sparkle." The heavily armored guard driving the carriage affirmed with her, "I know it was your request to, not, be escorted into the city, but something urgent had come up, it's your brother."

             "What happened!?" Twilight demanded, "Is he hurt?"

The guard nodded, "I was there, he, he just fell, Princess. They took him to the palace."

Twilight turned to face her friends, "Um, I, I guess if you want to go and check on Shining Armour with me, then you can just hop into the carriage." She paused a moment to think, "I've got to hurry ahead!" Twilight took off into the air.

                Twilight flew right to the palace, landing on the balcony, across the throne room Twilight saw Cadence conversing with, "Discord?" Twilight blurted out, Cadence smiled and quickly ran over to greet Twilight, half of a certain schoolyard rhyme ensued before Cadence realized that Twilight was not participating, "I take it you haven't heard."

Twilight hesitated a moment, "Shining, I don't- Somethings happened."

Discord stepped over, "It would appear, that you've got a predicament on your hands."

"Quite." Cadence said, standing in shock. "What do you know Twi?"

Twilight shuddered, "I- all the guard told me was that he.. Fell."

Discord spoke somberly, "Do you two trust me?"

Cadence's eye twitched, "What does that have to do with anything?" She said angrily.

"Good enough." Discord grabbed both Princess's and teleported to where he sensed Shining Armour.

                 Shining Armour lay in the royal couples bed, his eyes open, bloodshot, twitching and wandering. The hoof maidens keeping a close eye on him, he was gasping for air every few seconds, he twitched uncontrollably just as often.

Cadence took a deep breath, and cast a spell around Shining Armour, Twilight's magic soon joining it. The hoof maidens gasped, having never seen magic before. Despite their efforts his condition did not improve. The Princess's magic ceased, they looked at each other in dismay, then made their way to the side of the bed.

Discord stared at the stallion in the bed, he looked at the concerned Princesses, "Ladies, if I may."

Cadences gaze was unbroken, but Twilight snapped right over at Discord, "If you're going to do some thing then do it!" She barked.

                 Discord slithered and hovered over the stallion, placing his talon on the Prince's forehead, Shining Armour convulsed heavily, before slumping back into position and resting still, his eyes closing, he took several long deep breaths, and then drifted off to sleep. Everyone was silent, and for a few minutes, a deafening silence filled the royal bed chambers.

                 Cadence rested her head on her Princes chest, she could hear his heat beat as she stared off into space, she knew that he would survive, but she still listened. "Princess?" Discord inquired, "Are you going to be alright?"

Cadence did not change her expression, nor did she break her gaze, "I will be." she turned her head to look at her husbands face, stared a moment before parting his mane with a hoof. "What could have caused this?" She asked ambiguously.

Discord replied curiously, "A blow to the head perhaps? Too often sparring matches get a bit too hot for safety."

Twilight interjected, "The guards said that he just, fell. Perhaps something neurological?"

Cadence sighed deeply, "Whatever the reason, we must find a way to prevent its progression."

                 Hoof steps broke the young silence that followed, Celestia had entered the bed chambers, Luna following suit. Twilight bowed to Celestia, welcoming her in, "I hope i'm not interrupting anything." Celestia said softly.

"It's quite alright." Cadence said, her eyes still about Shining Armor.

Celestia eyed the stallion, "Am I to understand that our 'Crystal Prince' has had a bit of an, incident?"

Twilight began explaining,"We still don't know what happened, apparently he just fell, I mean this is just a disaster, the games are going to start, there's something wrong with Shining Armor, there's no way that he will be better in time for the opening ceremony-"

"Twilight!" Cadence exclaimed, looking Twilight right in the eye, she moved her hoof from her chest outward, sighing as she raised an eyebrow at Twilight, who soon repeated the motion.

Twilight recomposed herself, "It would appear that we would need to change our plans a bit."

Celestia took a step forward to get a good look at Shining Armor, her eyes glowing green and emanating a violet haze for a brief moment, "Cadence." The goddess called attention to the sleeping stallion, "What did Shining Armor tell you about his battle with King Sombra?"

Cadence wrinkled her brow as she met the sun Princesses eyes, "He, he didn't say anything, he just came back unable to use his magic, there were, crystals in his horn."

Luna stepped forward, "There is a dark presence in this room." The night Princess postulated, "Perhaps the Shadow King still has some kind of hold on him."

Twilight huffed, "Or maybe a certain, chaos lord, has something to do with it." She turned her head to shoot Discord a telling glare.

"Ha, your'e a fool if you think that I would use 'Dark Magic', Twilight Sparkle, or do you forget that I am the one who quieted his seizing?"

Cadence interrupted, "I have not forgotten, and for it, Discord draconequis, you will always be granted asylum in my domain."

Discord ginned at that, "Thank you, Princess." He bowed with gratitude, "Now all I have to do is earn the respect of you other three Princesses."

Celestia called the attention of Twilight and Cadence with a quick look at either of them, "Come, you two, we've got business to discuss, Luna will stay here with the Prince."

The three Princesses left...