"Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light." - Theodore Roethke

Princess Cadance closed her eyes as she reclined comfortably on her bed. Her belly was full and her luggage was away. The remainder of the day belonged to her, and she was compelled to spend it in silence. Although, she wished she possessed the energy to spend more time with the castle's new inhabitants. Aunt Celestia's new student was absolutely precious. Her brother, a gentlecolt and textbook guard.

Together, they were quite a pair, she thought, and she looked forward to future interactions with them. She was just so tired at the moment. The combination of Manehattan's bustling streets and the lackluster ride home took more out of her than she first realized. She glanced at a shelf, and she even wondered which of her books was the most engaging in her state of relaxation. Unfortunately, it was unimportant, as the familiar rhythm of knocking came upon her door.

With a huff, she donned her tiara and answered the call. “Yes?” she answered, taking the knob into her magic and slowly pulling the door open. She smiled upon seeing the pegasus who stood outside her chambers. “Amity!” she exclaimed. They engaged in a mutual hug. “Oh, I was hoping you'd stop by to see me!”

The other mare chuckled as she entered the room. “How could I not? It feels like forever since I heard from you last, my friend!” She paused. “Well, other than the postcard you sent, which was lovely.”

Cadance bounced on her hooves as she waited for Amity to make herself comfortable on one of the many lavish cushions that set on the floor. “I'm glad you liked it,” she then said, “but I think you'll like this even more!” She presented the deep-red scarf with a wide smile. She draped it over her friend's shoulders.

It made her heart soar to see the pegasus smile. “Oh, thank you so much Cadance! I love it!”

“I knew you would!”

Amity ran a hoof over the soft fabric. “I really do love it, but enough about me! Tell me about Manehattan, girl!”

As she settled next to Amity, the alicorn pondered where to start. “I don't really know what to say, other than it was an amazing experience. The mayor himself helped me tour the city for the first few days, then I was pretty much left to my own devices afterwards.” She held a hoof to her muzzle as she yawned. “Forgive me, I'm still tired.”

“I can tell, but it sounds like you had a great time. I've never been to Manehattan. We'll have to go together someday.”

“Oh, definitely! I'll start working on convincing Blueblood to come with us.”

“So soon?”

“It'll take a while, trust me.” She sighed. “You know how he is, Amity. He's so... reluctant to let himself have a good time.”

Amity rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. I tried to see him while you were gone. He excused himself from my visits and my lunch date attempts, Cadance!” Ever so slightly, her feathers ruffled, which she immediately began to smooth down. “I'm beginning to fear I'm wasting my time.”

“Don't say that!” Cadance reached over and touched her shoulder. “Bluey will warm up to you if you hang in there a little bit longer.” Amity was a wonderful mare, she knew, but after the words left her mouth she became startlingly aware of a spark of doubt igniting within her. She had known the pegasus since she first arrived in Canterlot, but would Blueblood accept her as easily? It had taken her over a year of careful moves and countless interactions to finally win her cousin over.

Her thoughts strayed to the new guard and his little sister. As she recalled, Blueblood didn't seem too perturbed by their presence. If she remembered correctly, it was the opposite. The energetic Twilight Sparkle brought the tiniest smile to his face, as much as he tried to focus on his lunch instead. Even Shining Armor managed to get a conversation out of him, albeit it was brief.

Something changed while she was away, that much was certain, and seemed it was for the better.

Prince Blueblood was in no hurry to reach the Canterlot Royal Gardens. He desired some fresh air and solitude, which he always found in the private section of the gardens—the Oasis. It was a safe haven, far from the neighboring grounds offered to tourists on a daily basis. While the main gardens were cared for by hired staff, Princess Celestia cared for the Oasis herself. She claimed it was therapeutic and nopony could deny the results of her watchfulness.

And, while the main gardens payed tribute to local flora, the Oasis was home to more exotic finds. Yucca from the Tenochtitlan Basin, water lilies from Seaward Shoals, a giant flytrap from the Everfree Forest, bittersweet from Griffonstone—to name a few. Obviously, many were strange, but beautiful in their own unique ways.

Blueblood found them fascinating, at least. As such, the sight of Twilight Sparkle there made him a little nervous. The feeling fled once he spotted his aunt nearby, tending to one of her beloved plants. As for the filly, she clutched a notebook and quill in her magic; she was scribbling away as she scrutinized a cluster of tiny, golden blooms.

Her brother stood by, carrying on his duty as her guardian. That didn't stop the young prince from approaching him. “Greetings,” he said, looking out upon the gardens.

Shining passed him a glance. “Good afternoon, Prince Blueblood. What's up?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

“Oh.” The guard nodded his head towards the Princess. “Princess Celestia thought it would do Twilight some good to learn about the more 'offshore' plants she grows here.”

Blueblood chuckled. “Well, there's no better place in all of Canterlot to learn.” He lifted his hoof to gently touch a strand of delicate silver moss, which dangled from the marble archway. “Have you ever encountered such flora during your service?” He might as well hold a conversation, instead of interrupting his aunt and her student.

Shining rubbed the back of his neck. “Nah, I've never seen any of these plants before. Then again, I never made it beyond Tall Tale. It was never my intention to leave Equestria at all, to tell you the truth. I wanted to remain here. There's nothing like home sweet home, you know?”

“I agree. It's nice to see new places, but nothing can ever beat the place from whence you were born.” Smiling, the taller stallion looked out amongst the Oasis. “Though you've only been here for a short time, which flower would you say is your favorite so far?”

“Uh...” Truth be told, he was too busy residing over his post to behold the myriad of surrounding blooms. Quickly, he looked around, and he settled for an eye-catching tower of pink and white flowers that set nearby. “I guess this one is really pretty,” he said.

Blueblood walked up beside him. “Ah, a mountain laurel, an excellent choice. This one was a gift from the King of Prance, when he attended the Summer Sun Celebration a few years back.”

“Do you know the origins of everything here?”

“Naturally. Many of these plants I watched grow from either seed or sproutling. Would you like a tour, by chance?”

Shining shot an uncertain glance at where the Princess and his sister stood. “I really shouldn't leave my post, Your Majesty.”

“Are you certain? I'm sure my aunt wouldn't mind.”

“I'm certain.” He looked down at the ground for a moment. “Rain-check?”

Though Blueblood felt a strange sense of disappointment, he didn't let it show. He didn't know why he was disappointed in the first place. He assumed the guard wouldn't take him up on his offer. He was a guard, after all. “I'll keep you to your rain-check,” he retorted with a smirk. “Good day, Shining Armor.”

Rolling his shoulders, Shining returned to his position. He watched as the Prince took his leave. It wasn't long before he was hit by the realization his eyes were lingering far longer than deemed appropriate. Startled, he tore his gaze away.

Author's Note

No, you're not hallucinating, I actually updated. I can't believe it's almost been a year, but now that I completed my other story, you better believe this will be updated more frequently!