A Princess in Time

TWO YEARS AFTER THE FALL OF THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE

"Hush little Cadance," Thauma crooned, then hummed wordlessly as she rocked the cradle positioned next to her makeshift throne. The tune disappeared without an echo into the vast space of the resistance base's centtral cavern.

The network of defensible caves housed thousands of resistance fighters under hundreds of feet of solid rock without a crystal anywhere in the structure. It had taken months of effort from stonemasons and crystalworkers and Thauma herself to dig the switchbacked tunnel down to the caves, but it was as secure a location as the resistance could hope for, and it had marked the turning point in the resistance's fight. They had been able to rescue many of the Empire's citizens and spirit them away to the caves, and careful tunneling could bring them to the surface anywhere in the city to strike against Sombra's forces and then fade away, collapsing the tunnels behind them.

Long months of such surgical strikes had eliminated a significant fraction of Sombra's military strength, to the point where he did not have sufficient forces to maintain a police presence everywhere in the city. As his grip on the populace loosened, independent pools of resistance were springing up all over the Empire.

The clack of shod hooves on stone announced General Pauldron's arrival even before the herald called out her name. She drew up before the throne and bowed to Thauma. "Princess, our intelligence has proved accurate. This morning, Sombra sent criers throughout the city, calling all 'loyal citizens' to the stadium on the morrow. He plans to address them, most likely in an attempt to renew their fear of him and bring them back fully under his control. You are well aware that this will be the first time Sombra has appeared in public in over a year. Between the losses we have inflicted on Sombra's forces and the number of fighters we have at the ready, we will never have a better chance to end his reign than this. We must attack."

Thauma's eyes were drawn to the tiny sleeping body in the cradle, but she nodded. "I agree with your assessment, Pauldron. So it's an all or nothing attack, in the end?" She gave the general a tired smile. "Perhaps we can be done with all of this at last."

Pauldron let her military demeanor slip for a moment and nodded. "I truly hope so, Princess."

"Give the orders, General. I will be in my chambers." Pauldron saluted crisply as Thauma stood and gathered her daughter in her wings. If anyone noticed the tears in her eyes, no one remarked on them.

In Thauma's chambers - really just a two-lobed cave large enough for her to have a magical laboratory close by her bed - she sat down on the edge of her bed and held Cadance tight to her chest, tight enough to wake the baby and start her crying.

"Shh, shh, I'm sorry, Cadance." She nuzzled the tiny mane and muzzle. "It's alright, I promise." Her voice broke on the last word and tears fell to splash on the stone floor. "I promise," she sobbed, "I promise." She rocked back and forth, crying silently, until Cadance went quiet.

Thauma gave a final shuddering sigh, roughly wiped her eyes free of tears and lay Cadance on the bed. She stood and bustled around the room preparing a bottle, then held the baby as she fed her, smiling at each suckle and tiny, contented sigh, staring as though trying to engrave every detail into her memory. When the bottle was empty, Thauma changed Cadance's diaper, causing giggles with the powder and then snores as she fell into a happy sleep. Finally, slowly, Thauma lifted her daughter into the cradle, wrapped the blanket snugly around her, and then enfolded the cradle in a layer of magic, then another and another.

Thauma had created the spell shortly after Cadance's birth as a way for her to ensure her daughter's survival even if she herself were at risk of being captured or killed. It would move Cadance into the future, to a time when Sombra's control had been broken and the baby could be raised in peace. She had hoped never to have to cast the spell, but this guerrilla war had taught her never to take success for granted. No matter how good General Pauldron considered this chance, Thauma had to consider the possibility of failure.

Her horn brightened as she shaped the spell carefully from memory. She would send Cadance ten years forward. If they succeeded and Sombra was defeated, ten years was not so long to wait for an alicorn. If they failed, she had every confidence that her sisters would have cracked Sombra's defenses before then and brought the full might of Equestria to bear against him. Cadance would return to a Crystal Empire at peace and under the stewardship of her sisters. It would be alright. "I promise," she murmured, more to herself than to Cadance.

A blinding flash filled the room, and the cradle and its occupant were gone. Thauma fell onto the bed and sobbed until she fell into an exhausted sleep.

She was awakened some hours later by General Pauldron, who tactfully ignored her princess's red-rimmed eyes. "It is almost dawn, Princess. Our troops are in readiness in the tunnels around the stadium. You must take your position."

Thauma rose, determined not to look as unsteady as she felt. She carefully did not look at the empty space where the cradle had been. "Lead the way, General."

"The sacrifices will be worth it when we succeed, Princess."

"I pray you are right."