A Challenge or a Cakewalk
Cadance always knew she'd experience a wide variety of situations and tasks as a princess since the day she became one. Managing and looking over the Crystal Empire, the populace dancing about and singing with smiles more in one day than during Sombra's entire rule, sometimes took her breath away or caused her to groan in frustration. Diplomatic meetings, helping ponies in need, and setting an example for all to aspire to were among the items typically on her plate. However, they all paled in comparison to an aspect Cadance hadn't planned.
It was duller than watching paint dry.
The pink alicorn paced around her room, clicking sounds echoing in the aquamarine room. Peering out the balcony or plopping onto her soft and cozy bed were all she could do for the time being. The sun's light made the crystalline city glow like the heavens; yet such views lost their luster long ago. And sleeping was about as unproductive as anypony could get. Cadance loathed being lazy, even if Shining Armor enjoyed snoozing. But he was Captain of the Royal Guard, usually working out or getting lowly recruits into shape. Cadance was just a princess. A title with power and prestige, but it wasn't as exciting as it was on paper.
"Something has to come up," Cadance grumbled. She meandered toward the mirror-like wall as though she'd just woke up, then turned around and trotted to the adjacent one. "Surely Twilight Sparkle must be planning something amazing." She sighed; her shoulders drooped. "It feels like forever since we had to take care of Discord. And Shiny is usually too busy for me to just go on a walk with him or to a restaurant. Those are always fun, but with him over at Canterlot, what's a princess to do?"
Three knocks rang in the air. Slowly turning toward the door, Cadance then trudged toward it. Three more knocks then followed.
"A messenger for me? At last!" She cleared her throat and straightened her posture. She needed to keep the image of a princess intact, another part of the job she found a thorn in her side. Cadance then bellowed, "Who is it?"
"It's Amber Waves!" the voice on the other side replied. "May I enter for a moment? I'd like to check on something with you."
Amber Waves almost always wandered throughout the central palace, usually for chatting with Cadance and other notable ponies. She'd then scuttle over to the post office with a sack stuffed with letters or end up delivering things herself. No matter what the day or time was, it'd be what Cadance saw her doing.
"What do you need?" Cadance asked. "I'm only curious."
"I just need you to check if a letter to Mayor Mare is ready to send," Amber said. "Can you do that, please? Or are you busy?" At least her chipper voice was recognizable. No rogue changelings to worry about this time; Cadance couldn't forget about the coffee incident.
"You may enter." Cadance pressed down on the doorknob; a pale indigo mare trotted in with her teeth clenching an envelope. Her light gold mane sparkled like stars, though the same could be said of all crystal ponies. With a gentle tap, Cadance closed the door. "How may I help you today?"
"Glad you asked. You see, since this letter is technically a reply to Mayor Mare's trade request, I wanted you to check it before I sent it to the post office. You know, just to be on the safe side. Shining Armor doesn't have the greatest penmanship, you know."
With her horn glowing a bright blue aura, Cadance brought the envelope toward her with her magic and opened it. Inside was a folded up sheet of paper; a short blurb was written across it. Cadance squinted at the letter, her eyes shifting about.
Mayor Mare,
We gladly accept your offer of increasing the amount of corn we send over to Ponyville in exchange for a larger quantity of apples you send over to the Crystal Empire. We feel such an agreement and the specified amounts listed in your letter are suitable for everypony involved.
The Crystal Empire
P.S. Say hello to Twiley Princess Twilight Sparkle for me Shining Armor
The writing was a bit sloppy, some streaks from the black ink a bit evident, but Cadance had spotted worse scribbles. Though anything was better than some of Shining's first attempts, Cadance recalling the days where she'd have to rewrite the letter word for word over the course of a few hours.
"So then, does the letter look good?" Amber Waves asked.
Cadance nodded. "It does," she replied. She wiped her brow. "And thank goodness."
"Now then, I'll deliver this to the post office in a jiffy." Amber clapped her hooves together; she donned a bright smile. "It shouldn't take me more than a few minutes. I'll—"
"Actually, I'll do it." Cadance slid the letter back into the envelope. "I've been looking for something to do."
Amber arched an eyebrow. "Wait a second. Why do you want to do it yourself?"
"Because I actually want to do something for once. I've been sitting around and doing the same things over and over again."
"Remember the last time you wanted to do something different?" Amber tapped the floor thrice; she shivered as if a blizzard swirled past. "The Tatzlwurm?"
"I do."
"If what I heard was true, then that was dangerous—and icky!" Squirming, Amber pretended to hack something up. "I mean, tentacles inside his throat? What kind of creature is that?"
"A creature not too common, I suppose." Ruffling her wings, Cadance brought the envelope closer to her. "Anyway, I'm not going to get involved in anything like that. Not to mention I did make it out alive."
"But that thing almost ate you!"
"Amber, this is just delivering a letter. Nothing too out of the ordinary."
Amber shrugged. "Okay then. Even though it's just a letter, I do politely request you control your impulsive desires."
With her cheeks a hot pink, Cadance let out a chuckle. "I know I can be a bit stubborn, but I'll go crazy if I have to spend an eternity doing nothing but this."
"Princess Celestia has managed to do fine, but I'll take your word for it." Amber stepped out of the room; she bowed, a smile still across her face. "Just be careful for me, okay?"
"Okay, Amber Waves."
The door closed, Cadance now alone in her open room with silence filling the air. Flicking the letter onto the plush mattress, she then approached a nearby cabinet with a shining mirror atop it. Gazing at her reflection for a minute, Cadance couldn't help but feel as though a simple delivery wouldn't get her blood pumping with adrenaline. Not to mention how she'd be asked for an autograph by tourists and she'd respond to each and every one as usual.
"Wait a second," she muttered. In a flash, Cadance opened the bottom shelf of the oak cabinet, a soft creak echoing in her ears. Inside was a brown and ragged cloak covering all which rested below it, a thin layer of dust atop it. Cadance pulled the cloak out and studied it. There were no holes in the material, Cadance checking twice to make sure, and no specks of grime clung onto it. "Perfect. This should do." She wrapped the cloak around her jewelry-covered body; it fit her like a glove, the cloth's fabric prodding her body at first. "When was the last time I ever used it?" She rubbed the top of her head. "Right, during the snowstorms I once had to deal with. Thank Celestia that's in the past."
Pulling the cloak's hood up, Cadance reacquired the envelope, fitting it into one of the small pockets off to the side. She cracked the slightest of smiles. "So then, let's see if I can get from the palace to the post office without being spotted." She squealed with delight. "This is going to be amazing!" Cadance gazed at the world outside the balcony once more, her eyes darting around. The area surrounding the distant post office was clear; she figured the rest of the roads would be somewhat quiet as well. It wasn't typical for a weekend. "Okay, the route is sufficient. Here I go."
With her wings folded and throat tightened, Cadance swiveled toward the door and opened it. Before her were a winding series of stairs, a cold breeze somehow swirling throughout the dimly lit chamber. With a deep breath, Cadance then sneaked down the stairs, her hoofsteps as light as possible. And with nopony around, the hardest part of the journey was cleared without trouble in a few seconds. Perhaps her challenge would be effortless; it'd be something she'd rather not have occur, however.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Cadance crept into the main hallway, her shoulder rubbing against the wall's rugged texture. The lavish decorations were as she remembered them; crystal pots, crystal chairs, stalactites acting as pillars, and even crystal flowers adorned the hallway. The ponies huddled up in the center and a few passersby all gawked at the decorations as if they were hypnotized. Only four or five of them seemed occupied with something else, one of them approaching each and every pony.
To Cadance's luck, nopony batted an eye at her as far as she could tell. But while some did give her cursory glances, they were nothing like the grins brighter than the sun ponies wore whenever they made eye contact with her.
"Maybe this is too easy," Cadance whispered. But for some reason, a rush of claustrophobia consumed her as if somepony was approaching her. "Well, at least there's a little challenge now."
Only a few seconds later, Cadance reached the palace's front door, but her ears twitched as the familiar sound of shuffling hooves grew louder. She held her breath, wondering if the oncoming pony recognized her immediately.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" a voice called out. Cadance's muscles loosened. A pegasus mare with a pale olive coat trotted toward her; the alicorn's eyes were drawn to her smooth, cobalt mane and her widened eyes. "Can you please point me to the dining room? I have to do it for something important and all. It's pretty much fun stuff." The mare rolled her eyes.
Cadance stretched her left foreleg out. While she knew speaking up might blow her cover, a tingling sensation in her chest told her she couldn't leave somepony in need behind. "Second hallway, third door," Cadance answered. "If you see a large table with silverware atop it, you're in the right place."
"Thanks." The pegasus' limbs froze. A second later, her jaw dropped. "Princess Cadance?" Her wings fluttered. "That's totally you, isn't it?"
Cadance pursed her lips. "Well, I guess that cat's out of the bag."
"Well, I wasn't expecting to see you here." The mare arched an eyebrow. "But what's with the thing you're wearing? Expecting a rainstorm or something? I can whip one up for you if you want, though the rest of the Weather Team would be peeved if they found out I did that." A chuckle escaped her mouth, only to fade away soon after. "But I might do it anyway if you ask."
"I'm challenging myself to deliver something without getting spotted." Cadance flicked her tail. "I didn't even make it out of the palace before being spotted, so I guess it's back to square one."
"Ah. Sorry about that." The mare chuckled. "Well, I guess you could start your quest the moment you leave."
"You do have a point. I was thinking about that just now." Cadance nodded; her lips curled into a slight smirk. "Okay, I'll begin my challenge the moment I exit the palace. Thank you, Miss—um—" Cadance rubbed her muzzle. "Excuse me, but what's your name?"
"It's Sunshower." Her cheeks burned a hot pink. "Yeah, it's kinda boring and I've been asking for a name change for a while now, but what are you gonna do?"
"It's not a bad name at all. There's nothing wrong with having a name like that."
Sunshower snickered. "Well, I'll take your word for it, even if the name is kinda lame. Maybe one of my friends will give me less grief for wanting it changed if I keep it." She paused for a moment; Sunshower straightened her posture. "I'll think about it. Anyway, it was nice to see you."
"It was an honor to meet you, too. However, I must be off. Goodbye, Sunshower. I wish you well."
Sunshower bobbed her head. "Good luck, Princess Cadance. Try not to lose your cloak—or coat—or whatever it is."
"I'll try my best."
Turning back to the door, her eyes drawn to the stylized heart etched on its crystalline surface, Cadance pressed her hooves against the cold and rough texture. A sharp creak akin to thunder split her ears as the door opened up. The sun's rays shined down upon her and the city as the outside world revealed itself.
The Crystal Empire was as flashy as it had always been. All of the buildings, from lowly apartments to mansions rivaling the palace itself and the infamous Crystal Stadium, were covered from head to toe in crystal. While most opted to have their homes colored in a violet or aquamarine color, some unique souls decided to decorate their abodes like rubies, sapphires, or emeralds. Even some artifical gardens rested before some of the houses, a few ponies always stopping to take a closer look.
Cadance took a short step forward, inhaling the crisp and clean air around her. It was like a perfect paradise, though a boring paradise would be more apt. Cadance failed to crack a grin at the sights.
"One would think the perfect place would have some excitement," Cadance mumbled. She sighed and clenched her teeth for a moment. "But nope. It's as dull as things can get." Scanning the ponies which trotted past her, each and every one of them bore a smile across their face. Cadance could only muster a raised brow and a bemused expression. "And why is everyone so happy? I'm going to have some explaining to do if I accidentally did what that Starlight Glimmer did. Twilight sure meets the strangest ponies."
Slamming the door shut with her hind leg, Cadance then trudged across the glass-like pathways. Clicks and clacks polluted the air, joined by a cacophonous churning of chatter amongst a sea of pastel colors. As Cadance saw it, it was another day in the Crystal Empire. At least finding a princess amongst a crowd of thousands would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
"Maybe the congestion isn't so bad after all," Cadance muttered to herself. She slipped a soft giggle. Not wasting any time, she approached the busiest part of the main streets, signified by the wider roads and the rustling of the central fountain nearby. Unfortunately, it was a requirement to get to the post office.
And shoulders, manes, and tails of all shapes and sizes rubbed against her without warning; the sensations varied from ticklish to downright sore. Cadance groaned and tried ruffling her wings. "Actually, maybe it's on the agenda for a reason. This is going to take some time."
Cadance never expected the journey to last this long, however. Thirty minutes had passed, the signs on the street corners teasing her with how much of the journey remained. And bodies still unintentionally squished her like a pancake, Cadance sighing at this fact and cringing whenever putrid body odors tickled her nostrils.
Tartarus' brimstone caves weren't looking so wretched in comparison. And how Amber Waves did the deliveries without bruises covering her body made no sense.
"To think it was always this awful," Cadance whispered to herself. "How does anypony get through this without going crazy?"
"It's nopony's fault, you know," a voice whispered back. Turning toward the voice's source, Cadance spotted a familiar gray mare with a smooth, black mane. A cello was perched on her back, locked up in a leather case. "A colleague of mine warned me about how packed the roads here are during the weekends. It's a funny contrast to the more peaceful weekdays from what I can tell." The mare sighed, shoulders drooped. "Well, it looks like we—might be here for a little while longer."
"Maybe so." Cadance paused. While conversing with somepony might ruin her challenge, anything was preferable to standing around and doing nothing. Cadance yawned; she then straightened her posture a bit. "By the way, who are you?"
"Octavia of the Royal Canterlot Orchestra."
"So then, what are you doing here?" Cadance cocked her head. "I'm only curious."
"My fellow musicians and I have a show next week, and we showed up a week early for practice before the event. We have to be on our best for the big event."
"Well, I'm attending it, and I know you're going to have some wonderful music."
Octavia glanced over to Cadance; she then cracked a smile. "Princess Cadance, right?"
"How did you—"
"I'm sorry if I said something I shouldn't have." Octavia shivered. "I don't mean to offend."
"It's fine." Cadance took a deep breath. "Well, since you know who I am, I'm curious about what tipped you off."
"It's only logical to assume a pony as tall as you wandering the Crystal Empire would be her." Octavia brought her attention back to the congested road ahead. "That and I've seen you at least three or four times now, though I've never really talked to you. I'll admit, I'm like a different pony depending on how familiar the environment is." Octavia slipped the slightest of giggles. "Anyway, I recognized you because your voice was too recognizable to be anypony else."
Cadance blushed. "Well, it's nice to finally know your name." Still, Octavia's shyness came as a surprise. She did know the cellist a little, after all, but the few glances she had toward her fit with Octavia's claim. She'd be talking to somepony like Beauty Brass or even Vinyl Scratch; they were two ponies who had to be friends or shared some relationship with her. Or she'd be blankly staring at a glass of water.
While she wanted to question Octavia, Cadance knew letting the conversation play its course naturally would be the safest option. Making a scene would be asking for trouble. "And it's nice to be able to talk to you, Miss Octavia," she continued.
"It's nice to be able to talk to you," Octavia meekly responded. She paused for a second; her face tautened. "Though I must ask, is the cloak for avoiding ponies spotting you?" Octavia looked up, clear skies above her and the rest of the Crystal Empire. "Or is it because you're expecting a sudden rainstorm?"
"Really? What do you think it could be?"
"I'm—I'm guessing the former, right?"
"Right."
Octavia giggled. "I see you still have your sarcastic wit. I've heard some fun stories about that."
"You have?"
"Definitely." The pair's lips were sealed for a few seconds, Octavia pursing hers as a bead of sweat trickled down her brow. "Sorry, but I wasn't expecting to socialize with a princess right now. Talking to strangers, especially famous ones, isn't my forte. I must apologize for my behavior."
"No need to apologize. Just pretend like I'm any regular pony." A chuckle escaped Cadance's lips. "It was what I was trying to go for, after all."
Octavia pressed her hooves together for a second; she then resumed trotting. "I'll try." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I—I would like to ask you a few questions. Is that fair?"
Nodding, Cadance then cleared her throat. "What would you like to ask?"
"Judging by your name, I'd assume you have a wealth of musical knowledge. Is that true?"
Cadance hummed a short tune, the melody soothing and loosening her muscles. "Yes, I'm able to sing. I did a lot of it when looking after Twilight Sparkle." A soft sigh left her lips. "It was something I did enjoy, I must admit."
While adrenaline didn't course through her veins during such moments, she did miss those carefree days with Twilight. Playing with her and teaching her lessons always warmed her heart, the moment where Twilight learned how to turn failures into positive learning experiences standing out.
Such a time was also where she didn't have to wear a tiara nonstop or sleep with her jewelry on. She didn't even have to deal with the chilling sensation in her bones when it came to running the Crystal Empire back then. Just having time to be herself and have fun without any naysayers produced the brightest of smiles.
But if those times were exciting, Cadance then wondered if she was going about activities and her behavior the wrong way. She knew she couldn't be.
"Ah. It's always nice to meet somepony with a passion for music," Octavia continued. "Also, is there something on your mind?" Freezing for a second, Octavia's pupils then shrank. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."
"It's okay, Octavia," Cadance said. "Anyway, I'm just thinking about the past."
"Was it troublesome?"
Cadance shook her head. "No, but it was more fun."
Octavia leaned closer to Cadance, the former's eyes widened. "What do you mean by that? Is your current lifestyle troublesome or boring in comparison to before?"
"It'd be the latter one." Cadance released a sigh; her head was hung low for a second before raising it up again. "I mean, what I do is important, and I'm more than willing to do it if it means the Crystal Empire will prosper, but just some form of excitement is preferable. Right now, it's so boring for the most part to where it's almost unbearable."
"And your idea of excitement is donning a cloak?"
"It's to try and avoid detection while delivering a letter to the post office. I have to keep it interesting and challenging, after all."
Octavia arched an eyebrow. "If it's appropriate, let me ask this." She exhaled. "What made your past more exciting?"
"Well, I think spending time with Twilight and Shiny are always fun. Sure, they aren't exhilarating, but they're always interesting."
"I think that's the key." A bright grin adorned Octavia's visage; she winked. "You're going about it a more difficult way, Princess Cadance. If you focus on what you like to do during your free time, it will make dealing with the busier and more boring stuff more tolerable. I focus on what I like to do, and I feel happier as a result."
Cadance placed a hoof to her chest. There was no denying Octavia had a point. And with a component of fun equal to her past routine still existing when Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, and others were involved, perhaps throwing excitement or danger into the mix was the wrong way to go about solving her conundrum.
Cadance's expression then brightened up; a wave of energy coursed through her body to where she wanted to take to the skies and dance. "You're right. I am going about it the wrong way," she stated. Cadance turned her head toward Octavia. "Thank you so much, Octavia. I think I know what to do from here."
"It's an honor, princess," Octavia replied. "To be frank, I feel a bit more comfortable talking with new ponies now that I've given it a serious effort. It'll take a lot more work, but I think I can socialize more."
"That's wonderful news. You know, you remind me of a friend of mine. Fluttershy is her name."
"Fluttershy is a familiar name. I'm guessing my more timid side would be the reason why." Octavia slipped a slight snicker. "But at least I'm making an effort, and I imagine Fluttershy is also doing quite well."
"I'm glad you're trying your best. A good tip is to treat it sort of like you're interacting with a close friend."
"I guess I could try that." Octavia swiveled her head to the right, then back to Cadance. "By the way, I should let you know we're almost at the post office."
Cadance peered back to the world before her, a crystalline building colored in a bright yellow simply labeled Post Office dominating much of the view. A small garden circled the building's perimeter. However, it only consisted of a few short trees and flowers, but at least the lush, natural green looked pleasant amidst all the blue and violet crystals. Ponies of all shapes and sizes entered and exited the establishment with skips in their steps or clenched teeth; some of them even carried letters or stuffed bags of their own.
"Perfect," Cadance said. "I'll just drop off the letter I was going to send and then fly back home."
With the crowd of ponies clearing up around the building, Cadance and Octavia made a beeline toward a nearby tree, the shade cooling their bodies. "Well, the auditorium I'm headed for is nearby, so I guess this is where we say goodbye."
"I guess so." Cadance crossed her forelegs. "Goodbye, Octavia. I'm eager to listen to your upcoming performance."
Octavia waved back as she trotted away. "Goodbye, Princess Cadance. I'll see you at the show!"
As the gray mare pranced off in the distance, Cadance couldn't help but notice a weight off of her shoulders. She pulled her cloak's hood down, revealing her smooth, pink face and long mane. All she needed to do from here was deliver the letter and she'd be on her way. And while she was spotted beneath the cloak earlier, her mission wasn't a failure. Anything which involved a positive learning experience couldn't be a failure, after all.
The sun shined brighter than ever above the Crystal Empire, Cadance gawking at the scenery just as she had when she first arrived there.
And she couldn't wait to tell Shining Armor about her day when he returned home.
