A Princess in Time

EPILOGUE - 990 YEARS AFTER THE FALL OF THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE

Warmbough of Walker Unit 19, Third Squadron of the Northern Patrol, stiffened and brushed his fur-lined hood back away from his horn. He cast about as though searching for a scent. The two other walkers who made up his unit stopped to watch him. After a moment, he pointed. "It's over there. Something big."

Scarcely ten minutes later, they found it. After they crept carefully up on it, alert for any traps or ambush, Bangtail barked a laugh. " 'Something big,' my granny's hoof! That's a cradle if I've ever seen one. You going senile in your old age there, 'Bough?"

Warmbough grumbled, "I'm only two years older than you, and I'm telling you, the amount of power this thing gave off, I've never felt anything like it."

Bangtail shook his head, but Evergreen spat thoughtfully and said, "What's a cradle doing out here in the first place?"

The other two looked at her, then back at the cradle. At that moment, the cradle gave off a burst of light and a baby's cry split the night. All three walkers started in surprise, but it was Bangtail who rushed to peer in. He stripped off his heavy outer jacket and reached down into the cradle with it. He stood with a bundle nestled in the crook of his arm. "Never mind the cradle. What in the name of Celestia is a baby doing out he--" His jaw snapped shut as a white light shot from his eyes. Warmbough and Evergreen backed up uncertainly, brandishing their weapons. A moment later, the light shut off as quickly as it had started, and Bangtail sagged, barely supporting himself on the cradle. He cleared his throat. "It seems this here is the rightful heir to the Crystal Empire. Her name is Princess Cadance. I think we oughta get her delivered to Princess Celestia as soon as can be."