Chapters Princess Cadence was thrilled to finally have a day off! No problems in the empire, no meetings to attend, no villains to defeat. It was glorious! Shining Armor was still busy helping guide the Royal Guard and all that, but a break! Ugh! She needed one so badly! She immediately tossed her crown onto her night table and flopped onto the bed. She looked around at the emptiness around her. What now? The princess wondered. She never actually had a break before. Hmm...what do the other princesses do during a break? Luna and Celestia would probably keep each other company or hang out with one another. Twilight would be studying or hanging out with her friends. Oh! She could hang out with Twilight today! Cadence leaped up at the idea. She conjured up some parchment and quills.
Dear Twilight,
Hey! I'm off today, so maybe you want to hang out? I mean, I don't have anything special planned. We can find something to do here or in Ponyville? What do you say? Please rescue me from this boredom! Sorry if this sounds rushed. It must be the boredom. Reply soon!
Love,
Princess Cadence
Cadence happily sent the message and put her crown back on. She waited eagerly for a reply. After a few short minutes of waiting and pacing around the room, Twilight's message finally arrived.
Dear Cadence,
I'm so glad that you turned to me for fun! But, unfortunately, I am currently in the midst of helping to restore and organize the Castle of the Two Sisters. I know you probably don't want to help clean. Besides, I think we have more than enough hooves helping here. Gotta run now. Spike just arrived with more supplies. Maybe another time?
Love,
Twilight
Cadence sighed as she finished reading the letter. Well, what does she do now? She exited her room sadly and slowly walked into the halls. The blue crystal glimmered all around her. Look at me! All dressed up and going nowhere she thought to herself. During the first few days as a princess, she spent all the free time that she could exploring her new castle. Everything was so bright! Every inch of the place was exciting from the throne room to the hidden lair of Sombra ( now being renovated to become a museum ) to the Crystal Heart. It was great back when she was new, but now she was all settled and it just seemed....normal. She walked into her throne room and sat back down on her seat. Nopony was around except a few guards.
"Any news?" Cadence asked. Her normally quiet voice boomed in the still palace. A guard began to approach her. Cadence's heart rose up. A new challenge? A new foe? A new adventure? I'll take anything! Even a boring old dispute between two ponies!
"No, your highness. Everything is in perfect order. Please, feel free to take a break now. Everything is alright," the guard announced in a monotone, yet regal voice. Cadence sighed and slumped out of her throne. Might as well find something to do outside. The quiet was creeping her out. The throne room was usually packed with ponies who had requests, needed something, or even just wanted to complain. It was previously annoying, but now the pony princess missed the buzz and chatter of angry citizens. Cadence trotted outside. Two guards ran after her in pursuit. They finally stopped next to her.
"Your highness. You shouldn't leave without any protection. We will accompany you on your journey," the first guard pony said to her quietly. "Perhaps you would like to take a sky chariot instead? Maybe a train?" The guard motioned for Cadence to go back inside the palace.
Cadence laughed. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll just be hanging around here. Go back to the palace. You can keep an eye on me from there if you want." The guards were left astonished as Cadence trotted away. She headed for the Crystal Empire Library. Maybe a good book will take my mind off of my boredom! The librarian bowed down to her as soon as she entered the doors.
"Your highness! Welcome to the library. May I assist you with anything?" The pony, who was still bowing, asked.
"Oh, no thanks. Just here to...you know...get reading!" Cadence answered awkwardly. Gee, I am out of it today. I blame the boredom Cadence thought to herself as she motioned for the librarian to get up. After that, Cadence flew lightly over the entire library. What book should I read? I haven't read anything for fun in quite some time. Suddenly, a pony caught her attention. She was silently crying. Cadence didn't want to pry, but her boredom led her right in front of the pony.
The crying pony didn't even realize someone was in front of her until Cadence spoke up. "Hey! Are you alright? I don't mean to pry, but I was so bored! Anyway, I just saw you here and...well...it doesn't matter. So are you alright?"
"I.....I..." Suddenly the pony remembered her manners and immediately bowed down. Cadence cursed under her breath. I have got to stop forgetting they do that by now!
"It's alright. Get up. I'm here to help you," Cadence smiled as she helped the mare up.
"Thank you your highness. My name is Ivory Splint. It's just that my husband. He is always busy with work. We got into an argument about it lately, and well....things aren't going well...." the mare began to tear up as she stuttered on her words.
"No need to cry Ivory! I can fix this," Cadence smiled. The pony looked up at Cadence, confused. "Okay, what does your husband work as, exactly?"
"He's part of your royal guard, your highness," Ivory Splint replied.
"Oh? What's his name?"
"Whirlwind Splint,"
"Well, I suggest when Whirlwind gets his next break, you two can go on a romantic journey! Might I suggest Ponyville? I hear that town is wonderful towards any newcomers. Including Princess Twilight,"
"Well...I suppose it's worth a shot..."
"Go for it!"
"Thank you, your majesty," Ivory wiped away all of her tears and trotted out of the library. She seemed to be looking way better than before. The librarian nodded at her just before she left.
Cadence was glad to have solved someone's romantic problems. Now, off to give Whirlwind a break! He was always one of the more attentive guards. Tragedy in the empire happened, sure, but sometimes the guards just weren't capable. Besides, one less guard can't hurt anyone..right? She kept on trotting along until she found the history section of the library. Might as well brush up on my facts while I'm here! Cadence opened a book and started to read about life before Sombra. She studied all of the holidays, more traditions, more about the crystal heart. She was so caught up in the moment, she never really thought about the past of the empire. She skimmed the book when suddenly, a page caught her eye. It was on the crystal heart!
When the heart was first created by Crystalline Love, she made it so that it would spread love everywhere. However, all ponies know that spells can't fix everything. While Crystalline was a loving pony indeed, she couldn't help but suffer from broken hearts, and was unable to help ponies with their broken hearts. Her sister Clair Love however, was able to find a solution. Since they both ruled the empire Clair used royal magic to control the heart's power, so whenever somepony was in need of aid, they simply went by the heart and Clair could hear their needs. This ability and power was passed down the royal line. No non-alicorn pony has ever been able to achieve that ability.
Cadence was intrigued. She could use this to fix everypony's problems! She was great at healing a broken heart! Cadence thought back to when she was just a foal-sitter. She sometimes used her magic to sort out disputes. Twilight loved it when she did that. Thinking about broken hearts, her mind floated off to Shining Armor. She missed him so much. He would always be back, but they rarely ever got a chance alone. Cadence strolled by the crystal heart on her way to her room. Some tourist ponies were there, as well as a group of crystal ponies who were just bustling about. Many bowed to the princess, but without the large entourage of guards, she was sometimes glanced over. Cadence didn't mind. She wasn't all about that royal life anyway.
I can't just tamper with the heart in front of everypony like this Cadence thought. Its too strange, I need to go....sometime less occupied... She trotted back up to her palace to find Whirlwind Splint. After all, it was the only thing left for her to do. She burst open the doors of her throne room, slightly startling everypony. She smiled awkwardly and ascended her throne. After settling down a bit, she raised her voice in a regal manner.
"May the guard Whirlwind Splint please stand here before me," Cadence announced. The guards immediately turned to look at an indigo pony who was sheepishly walking towards Cadence. She looked at him slowly approaching from her throne. "You are Whirlwind, correct?"
"Ye...yes your highness.." Whirlwind stammered nervously.
"A hmmm, how long have you been standing post?"
"Longer than any other pony, your highness. About a month or so...."
"Go home Whirlwind."
"What! Your highness, pardon, but...."
"Whirlwind, you need a break. I'm sending you on it for two weeks. Go home to your wife and maybe take a nice vacation? It sounds like you need it and earned it."
"My wife doesn't...... I mean yes, your highness."
The guard quickly left the room. Another one was fetched in to replace him for the time being. Cadence smiled and gazed out of one of the windows near her throne. She could see her shining empire. She immediately thought of Shining Armor and got sad again. She got up and strolled to her own room. She plopped down on the bed once more. Well, maybe if her boredom can keep her alive until nightfall, she would have something to do....finally.
It was nightfall. Cadence had taken the pleasure of falling asleep. It appeared her short nap lasted quite a while. She fixed her tiara and went to go look out her window. Almost no pony was around! She could see some action around parts of her empire where night ponies usually go to have fun, but other than that, the area around the castle, and the crystal heart, was mostly empty. Cadence was glad. The spell must work if she is to help others! That is her main focus right now. She needed to have a real purpose! She needed something that actually had to do with her cutie mark and her title. What's the Princess of Love without actually spreading love? She loved all of her citizens dearly, but felt like she rarely ever expressed it. This was her chance to prove she actually does something for a change! The elated princess was suddenly struck with a terrible reminder. Shining Armor wasn't home yet! He usually burst through the door exhausted by now, but today he wasn't there. Cadence galloped out of her room and tried to find a guard.
She was in such a state of hurry, she forgot that there were two guards right near her own room. She galloped past them in a flash. She began to lift her wings and soar over the ground through her palace to find somepony. She spotted a pony wearing a royal uniform. She approached hurriedly.
"Guards!" She cried out. Two or three guard ponies immediately rushed in front of her. She was panting tiredly. The guards looked worried. "Where is Shining Armor?" the princess asked.
"Your highness, we just sent a messenger with a letter from him to go to your room. Did he not reach you?" One of the guards answered her. They all began to escort the princess back to her room. She entered and saw an envelope with the royal Canterlot seal on it.
She immediately tore it open and began to read.
Dear Cadence,
My love, I'm afraid I won't be returning to the empire. Celestia called upon me and I must answer. I'm sorry that I can't tell you personally, but Celestia needs extra guards with a very private negotiation with the Griffon Kingdom. Don't worry, you won't be left out of anything. Luna and Twilight won't be there either. Don't worry about me either. I will be back in three days!
Love,
Shining Armor
Cadence slumped down on the frame of her bed sadly. She was almost in tears. Shining Armor wouldn't be back for three days? How could she bear it? Especially since that was when her break would end. She tried her best to shake off the sad feeling. She needs to get adjusted to these things! It was nightfall, and there were few ponies. She looked out her window once more. No one was around, but guard ponies were standing post all around the castle and the crystal heart. Cadence mustered up her courage. I am the princess here, and things can run my way. I'm doing what's best for the ponies here, as the Princess of Love!
Cadence didn't even bother exiting normally. She was way too hyped to do anything like that. She needed action, adventure, danger! That was what excited her most, and a night-time 'mission' was just the thing to lift her mood. The princess jumped out of the window in one swift motion and expanded her wings. She glided around the palace while the guards watched in amazement below. She landed in front of the guard ponies.
"Princess! Are you alright?" One of them asked. There was small chatter around and some guards were even jumping or flying up in order to see the princess. They were really surprised this time. Cadence rarely ever stepped out at night, and this was her first time doing something truly daring in front of them. She was normally so sheltered and calm.
Cadence raised a hoof to silence them all. "Please. I am fine. I am here to work on the crystal heart," Cadence announced in a loud whisper. The guards were all astonished.
"Work on it?"
"What does she mean by that?"
"Quiet guys!"
Cadence ignored all the comments and approached the heart. The guards crowded around behind her, looking to see what she was going to do. The princess lowered her horn, it was only a few inches away from the heart itself. She closed her eyes and lit up her horn. The guards behind her were completely silent. Soon, her magic blue glow formed all around the heart. She searched deep inside her heart, mind, and spirit to try and find a...connection of some sort. Her magic projected itself inside the heart. It was looking for the bridge between the heart and the royal pony. Finally, she found something.
"Ah!" Cadence was thrown back from the amount of energy and magic coming from the heart. It glowed softly in all sorts of colors, then stopped. It was encased in complete lavender magic, which then proceeded to seep away. Cadence looked up at her horn. It was still glowing. It too had turned into a lavender then went away. She was overcome with dizziness and drowsiness. She stumbled back a few steps and tripped.
Luckily, the guards caught her when she fell. "Your highness! Are you okay? What happened?" The guards immediately ran towards the heart while some stayed back to care for the princess. Cadence felt normal again and got a hold of herself.
"I'm fine, thank you. But I think the connection has been made," Cadence informed everypony. The guards were puzzled. Cadence lit up her horn and tried to sense the heart again. This time, both her horn and the crystal heart lit up in a lavender color. The guards were amazed again. "From now on, I am connected to the heart. I will be able to sense anypony and everypony who is in distress and near the heart. May this marvelous accomplishment be something to inform the public about." With those last words, Cadence flew straight back up to her bedroom window and threw off her tiara. She flopped straight down onto the bed. Magic connections are exhausting.
The guards were sill left baffled. They immediately sent someone to make signs and posters telling the public about the new discovery. Most of them were still confused, so they simply put that Cadence would hold a public speaking conference tomorrow. But for now, everything went back to normal and the night went on without any disruptions. However, a certain pony princess and captain of the royal guard both saw something happen from the empire.....
It was morning and Cadence was up since before dawn. The Crystal Empire was buzzing with excitement. There were rumors among the city that the princess had tampered, and succeeded in working the crystal heart. Few remember the heart having the special ability of being able to connect with the princess, but everypony has been doing their research lately in the empire. Usually, Cadence woke up on her own due to the murmurs of chatter in her throne room. Today, she needed to clarify everything to everypony about what happened last night. Her crown was on and her hair was tied up in a sophisticated up-do. She was prepared to share this marvelous achievement with everypony.
Cadence sat atop her throne as many ponies flooded in through the grand doors to talk with the princess. Usually, it was one at a time but today, the crystal ponies were rowdier than usual. Talk and shouts burst out all at once. Cadence knew what they all wanted to hear. The guards posted out news yesterday pertaining to what happened last night with her and the crystal heart.
"What happened last night princess?"
"Did you break the heart? If so, how are we going to live? Can you still protect us?"
"Is Sombra coming back?"
"Oh no! Is the empire in danger?"
"Attention everypony!" Cadence made her voice boom loudly to silence the entire room. They were all still as Cadence continued to speak. "Now I know its a bit hard to wait, but you all have to until later today to hear about what happened last night. Rest assured, nopony is in danger and no threat will return to the empire. If you have more questions, please wait until later in the day."
The guards began to usher out anyone who wanted to talk about the incident last night further. All that was left of the large mob of ponies were a few mares and stallions, asking about business, jobs, or resources. The problems were solved eventually, but Cadence still had more spare time on her hooves. Before she could even get up off her throne, Shining Armor and Princess Luna came in.
"Shining Armor!" Cadence was elated to see her love again earlier than expected. She ran up to him and threw her hooves around him. She noticed Luna's presence and immediately straightened herself out. "Ahem...he he...so why are you guys here? I thought Canterlot was in need of you two," Cadence asked.
"We saw what happened last night and we are here to investigate your.....glow? It came from the crystal heart, I presume," Luna explained.
"We were both looking out and saw something happen at the palace. We came as quickly as we could," Shining Armor added. "Cadence, is there something we should know?"
"Guys its okay. I just discovered my purpose for this empire," Cadence reassured them. "I discovered an ancient spell that connects me to the heart. It allows me to sense ponies in need, so if they ever need help with a broken heart, I'll be there! Now I won't be so bored during my free hours, and I can help spread my....well meaning."
"What?" Shining Armor looked puzzled at Cadence. "Cadence I don't get what you mean. Your meaning is to lead these ponies! And you're already doing that."
"Princess Cadence you do have a meaning. You protect the empire," Luna told the pink mare. "You do not believe that is enough?"
"No, not at all Luna. It is true I protect this empire, but we have so much peace right now! Sombra is gone for good. No threat has appeared. Who know when ponies will need me on such a large magnitude again? This is my chance to help them every single day, and I'm not going to waste this chance! Everyday is the same petty problems. I used to take a long time, but now that I've settled in, I have so much free time! This is an ancient and lost tradition that I am determined to revive." Cadence argued back. She was a bit annoyed at how suspicious Luna and even Shining Armor was acting. They still seemed puzzled at her response. Cadence tried harder to clarify. "Look, in ancient times, two pony princesses created the crystal heart and made it so that royal alicorns can help civilians with love problems. Don't you see? This is my calling! I have the ability to fix the broken hearts of my kingdom. This can help me connect with the ponies out there! What am I, the Princess of Love, if I don't spread it? Share it? Help other ponies believe in it?" She waved a hoof at the window, gesturing to the entire empire.
"I suppose I understand. If I had an opportunity to have more meaning before I was banished, the whole situation could have been avoided," Luna nodded her head in understanding. She spoke quietly since she was still embarrassed about Nightmare Moon, and honestly ashamed of herself for becoming out of control.
"Either way. I'm explaining it all to my citizens later in the day, so I can help them whenever they need it," Cadence informed the two. She was happy to hear that Luna was on board, but Shining Armor looked unsure. "What's wrong Shining?" She asked.
"I'm just worried you won't be able to handle it all. The citizens might be overtaking the power once they find out. What if someone else gets to the magic? What if it hurts you?" Shining Armor kept on rambling quietly with concerns. Cadence put a hoof around him.
"I'll be fine Shining Armor. You need to trust me on this. I'm sure both of you should be helping Celestia right now. You said it was urgent, wasn't it?" Cadence was annoyed that her husband wasn't sure of her. She thought he would be proud.
"Er....Right," Shining Armor stuttered. "I suppose......."
"Alright Shining Armor. My sister is in need of us. It appears Princess Cadence is very busy with her new duties," Luna smiled and nodded to Cadence. She motioned for Shining Armor to follow as she left. Shining Armor kept on looking back to his wife. He was awfully worried. Nevertheless, he continued walking until the grand doors closed with a big thud.
Cadence sighed. The guards were still motionless, but she could sense they felt awkward. She ignored that and nodded to one of them. It was about high time she told everyone her discovery and new ability. She could handle it, its just a little thing. Sure, the empire is way bigger now, but its probably the same as before. The ponies would be thrilled to be able to meet Cadence personally! The guards began to disperse, running around making last minute adjustments. Cadence glided easily through the mess and went back into her room. She called for her royal stylist to prepare her look. She wanted to be at her very best when telling the ponies her new role. Friendly ponies everywhere......FRIENDS! Cadence had yet to tell Twilight the news! Cadence conjured up a letter and sent it to her favorite sister-in-law immediately. She got a reply within a few minutes. The stylist pony was just putting finishing touches on her mane.
Dear Cadence,
This is great news! I wish I could be there, but I'm afraid its a bit too last minute for me. However, I will indeed stop by for a visit. I'm so excited! Tell me how your new magic works! Oh wait, save it for when we meet up. I can't believe you uncovered this! I knew you'd find something great at the library. See you very soon!
Love,
Twilight
Cadence smiled at the letter. At least somepony close to her approved of what she was doing. The look on Shining Armor's face almost killed her. She didn't see him that depressed, that sad since Queen Chrysalis took control. The stylist finished her dress and her mane just in time. A guard knocked on her door. She could hear the citizens outside. She walked down the long corridor where the enormous balcony was at the end. She opened the doors and went into the sunshine.
One Month Later
Princess Cadence was waiting tiredly at the train station. Quite a few ponies already had been coming up to her and asking her for advice and assistance. She was, of course, happy as ever to help, but her throat was quite dry and her hooves were getting tired from pacing around. She wanted to meet Twilight personally, to show that it was a big deal. It had been a while since they last hung out without and disruptions. In fact, it seemed like there was a disruption every time. She peered at the tracks and saw the pebbles and rocks began to tremble. She looked forward, minding her footing, and saw train arriving. She clapped her hooves in glee like she was a school pony. Princess Cadence walked back to where her royal guards were and waited patiently. The train roared to a halt. Groups of ponies began pouring out. In the center of it all was Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. They saw each other and did their classic hoofshake.
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" They both burst into laughter after shaking their tails in the air for a good amount of seconds. The sisters began walking towards the palace.
"I'm so glad you could come, Twilight!" Cadence sighed with happiness. "It's been a while. How are your wings? What have your friends been up to?"
"Everypony, including myself, is fine. I'm dying to know about your new spell and ability!" Twilight pointed at Cadence's horn. "So how does it work? Is there a spell you need to do? How do you meet everypony?"
Just then, Cadence's horn began to softly glow. It was lavender, which meant somepony was in need of help. The magic in the heart doesn't lie. It only glows when ponies truly need the princess's help.
"Well, you're about to find out!" Cadence flew ahead towards the heart. Twilight eagerly pursued her sister-in-law to learn more about the heart. She had never read any books about powers like this.
"Hey Cadence! Where can I find the book about this power?" Twilight shouted over the wind as the girls soared through the sky. Cadence was completely in the zone. Before Twilight could get an answer, Cadence was already approaching a sad looking pony sitting near the heart. She had a white coat with a yellow mane streaked in blue. The mare immediately brightened up when she noticed Cadence. Twilight approached as well, and the mare was astonished.
"Hello princesses!" the mare nervously bowed down. "I'm sorry if I was bothering something....I...I didn't know you would be here too, Princess, not that I don't keep up with events, but...I...I..." The mare continued to stammer before Cadence calmed her down. The pink princess put a hoof on the mare's shoulders.
"It's quite alright. Now, tell me what the matter is," Cadence smiled.
"Well, my name's Glimmer Daydream. And, well it's just that I can't seem to help anypony anymore! I used to be so outgoing, but now I'm not so sure what to do anymore. It seems I've ruined all of my friend's relationships. I didn't exactly know what to do, so I just sat here by the heart. I don't know what I was hoping for," Glimmer sighed.
"Oh, how so?" Cadence questioned.
"My and my friends used to hang around the heart all the time, when they all got coltfriends, I tried to help them, I guess none of them were as outgoing as me. Now their relationships are ruined and I'm to blame. I was just so inspired by how you activated the power of the heart, I wanted to help others as well. We were supposed to meet today, but it seems no pony showed up." Glimmer explained.
Twilight stood by the side and listened quietly, even adding in some advice here or there. By the time it was all over, the mare was much happier, but Twilight was confused by what Cadence meant.
"What did you mean by 'Shine at the Castle'? I've certainly never heard an expression like that before. Where did you get it from? What does it symbolize? Is this an empire thing I've never heard about?" Twilight had a bundle more of questions, but Cadence laughed and happily answered all of her questions.
"Its just an expression Twilight, you don't have to worry. You're a very smart pony. I'm sure you have some sayings over in Ponyville as well." Cadence smiled and continued to walk towards the palace.
"Where to now?" Twilight asked curiously. "How about that book on the heart? I mean, I don't want to waste time, but the book ooh! You just make it all sound so interesting! Not that it wasn't interesting before, but this...this is just....."
"Twilight! Aren't you forgetting something important?" Cadence asked with a suspicious smile. She tried to keep in her laughter. Twilight looked at her sister questioningly before turning around. She noticed she dropped her saddle bag near the heart. Nopony went to grab for it, and Twilight felt embarrassed.
"He he, lets just get going," Twilight quickly grabbed her bag and dashed into the palace. Cadence flew right behind her.
~~~~~
Cadence walked into the throne room with Twilight to find a mint green pony with red and white streaks braided in her mane. She had an angry expression on her face and was yelling at the guards.
"I don't care how long it takes! I will stay until the princess arrives." The pony sneered at the guards trying to calm her down. She was pretty angry. Twilight and Cadence looked nervously at each other before Cadence approached the pony.
"You!!" the mare pointed a hoof at Cadence. "You're to blame for all of this! You ruined my life!"
"Who are you, exactly?" Cadence asked the pony calmly. She was surprised she could ruin the life of somepony without even knowing them.
"I'm Peppermint Eclipse. I used to be perfectly happy alone! Now that you've activated the heart, all of my friends are taunting me for not wanting to love in what seems to be the most lovable place in Equestria!" the mare yelled. Cadence was shocked. She never meant to hurt anyone.
"Well, have you tried telling them to...uh...stop?" Cadence asked nervously. This wasn't taking the road of broken love, but friendship instead. Luckily for her, Twilight heard everything and immediately stepped in to help.
"Peppermint, it sounds like your so called friends are very supportive. You should try to reason with them and, if they are still being mean, just find more friends. If they don't make you feel like you belong, then you should find some ponies who care about you." Twilight comforted the pony, who seemed much less angry right now.
"Gee, I never thought of it like that. Thanks. And apologies, your highness, my outburst was a bit.....out of order..." Peppermint looked down in shame and rushed out of the room. The previously furious mare soon became shy as she left.
Cadence smiled at Twilight as a guard rushed up to them. "What's wrong?" Cadence asked. She looked around and saw at the far end of the hall was a group of ponies. A lot of them seemed to be angry and glaring at each other. Cadence and Twilight looked nervously at each other as they approached the crowd.....
Cadence slumped down on her bed. She looked outside her window and saw that the moon was just about to go down. She checked the clock and saw that it was 2:30 in the morning. She groaned and plopped her head on her pillow. Shining Armor stirred a little in his sleep. Cadence looked over and saw that he was still in uniform. His body armor was still on and his helmet was on the floor, not far from his hoof, which was dangling off the bed.
The Princess of Love sighed as she started to slowly drift off to sleep. She had been sleeping later and later each day. The ponies of the Crystal Empire needed more help than she thought. More problems each day, too many of which were caused by the activating of the heart's power. Shining Armor always stayed up to wait for Cadence, but he has been passing out trying to stay up for her lately. Cadence was as busy as ever. The past two months have been hectic, the empire always a buzz. Ponies were travelling from as far as Manehattan just to get Cadence to solve their problems. She was always happy to help, but it was becoming quite tiresome...
"Cadence? Cadence, wake up!"
Cadence groaned and rolled off her bed. Her mane was tangled and uneven. She looked and saw that Shining Armor was all prepared to lead the guard another day. She gave him a weak smile and started to brush her mane. Halfway through, she fell asleep again. Shining Armor trotted over and shook his wife awake again.
"Wha...I'm up! I'm up!!" Cadence burst her eyes open and stood up quickly. She yawned and finished brushing. Shining Armor looked worriedly at her. Cadence glanced at him and raised a questioning eyebrow. "What?" Cadence yawned again and her eyelids started to droop again.
"Cadence! I think its time to deactivate your heart power from the ponies." Shining Armor stated firmly. "Look at you! You're exhausted each and everyday. You can barely even brush your mane without drifting off. The empire is never at rest. This is exactly what I was worried about when you started this. You need to stop."
"Shining, I wish I could find a way to satisfy everypony, but I can't! The heart and I are bound forever. It's not like I can pass this much power onto another Alicorn! This is my duty, and if losing a bit of sleep is the price, well I'm willing to pay it." Cadence snapped back.
"Well what if I'm not willing to let you pay? Look at yourself! You're not just losing an hour, you barely get a nap in! That's it, I'm telling the guards to let you rest." He began to walk towards the door.
"No! Shining Armor, I can handle this!" Cadence tried to run after the husband, but she got tired quickly. Soon, everything went black. The last thing she saw was Shining Armor turning around and running to catch her.
A day or so later
Cadence woke up fully rested. She felt normal again. For the past week, Shining Armor and the castle staff has been caring for her. Twilight and some of her friends even came to visit. They were all wonderful company, but Cadence could never rest without waking at least once. The ponies of the empire have been getting anxious. Her magic and the heart were awake non-stop. She always sensed an imbalance.
"Cadence?" Shining Armor opened the door slowly to see his wife sitting up at the bed. He smiled and walked in. "Good morning, how are you doing?" He walked up her and kissed her cheek.
"You're right Shining Armor. I needed this, but I can't just abandon the ponies out there. I might be able to redistribute this magic, but to who? I don't know of anypony who can handle this, and I wouldn't want to wish this upon anypony," Cadence closed her eyes and focused on lighting her horn. No blue mist appeared. It was now entirely lavender. She opened her eyes to see Shining Armor with an unreadable expression.
"Okay, we need to see the other Princesses about this. I can't stand seeing you in such a condition. I'll be right back," Shining Armor tried to give Cadence his best smile and went off to alert Princess Celestia, Luna, and Twilight about Cadence's condition.
Cadence slumped down. How could she let everypony down like this? She put her hoof to her head and groaned in agony. The princess closed her eyes and immediately felt the heartbreak of ponies everywhere. It wasn't just love anymore, but all the ponies with friendship had problems arising as well. She didn't know how the Princess of Love could fix Friendship problems without Twilight. She was really starting to regret ever tampering with the crystal heart.
A few hours later
"Cadence!" The princess was napping when she heard someone shout her name. She perked up to see Twilight, Luna, and Celestia beside her bed. Twilight hugged her sister-in-law. "I was so worried when Shining Armor told me about your condition! Are you okay? Does your horn hurt? What about your magic? Is that okay too?" Twilight frantically began to look into Cadence's horn and inspect her face when Celestia cleared her throat.
"Ahem.." The Princess of the Sun coughed a bit. Twilight sheepishly smiled and calmed down. The flowy-haired princess then began to speak. "You've gotten yourself into quite the predicament, Princess Cadence."
"It appears you cannot get any rest," Luna spoke up. "How do you think this problem should be handled?" Luna looked to the other princesses. The shrugged a little and looked to Cadence.
"I really think it would be best if, maybe other ponies could handle this job?" Cadence suggested. She immediately felt embarrassed after hearing how lazy the statement sounded. She internally face-hoofed herself. To make matters even more awkward, she threw in a crooked smile.
"Princess Cadence, if you feel that it is best for you to transfer this job to another pony, it is fine, but who could withstand so much power? You are an Alicorn Princess! If this job were to be passed down to another pony, I'm not sure they would be able to handle it," Luna frowned slightly and furrowed her eyebrows. She looked over at her sister, Princess Celestia, yet her sibling remained monotone.
"Why don't you sleep on it?" Twilight suggested. Cadence nodded silently. She wasn't sure what else to do. She was really out of it these few days. The other three princesses bowed and walked out of the room. "Good night!" Twilight called as she smiled at her sister-in-law. Cadence waved and slumped back down in her bed as Shining Armor returned to the room.
He waved good-bye at Twilight and bowed to the other princesses. "Cadence! Did you and the others find a solution?" Shining Armor trotted in and smiled at his wife. Cadence could only return a half-hearted smile.
"I don't know. I can't think at all right now! I think I just need to go back to sleep..." Cadence lay back down and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry Shining Armor."
The Captain of the Royal Guard nodded with sympathy and kissed Cadence on her forehead before leaving the room to guide the night shift.
