The matters of the heart shouldn't be tampered with, especially by fillies!
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was having yet another quiet morning in the Chrystal Empire. She loved her kingdom and it's subjects, and of course her husband Shining Armor was there to brighten her days and liven things up around the otherwise boring responsibilities that came with being a princess. She wasn't complaining exactly... she just couldn't wrap her head around how her Aunts Celestia and Luna fared so well with the duties of ruling over such a large kingdom, when she couldn't stand the constant drawl of paperwork, advisers, you name it. She hardly had a minute to herself, and she hardly had any time with her husband Shiny either, they were both kept so busy lately. He was out coaching his soldiers again and couldn't over look their training for too long a time, nor would she want him to.
She on the other hoof had many visitors to the palace throne room, ponies, Chrystal and otherwise came seeking an audience with her royal highness the Princess of Love , always seeking advice and help with finding that special pony or strengthening the relationships they already had. Sometimes it was interesting, and she gladly assisted all her came to her seeking answers to the questions of the heart. Her new life was simply boring because it lacked adventure, it lacked any break in routine. That's part of the reason she couldn't be too mad at Discord for the fiasco he pulled a few weeks ago with his little outburst during her visit with Twilight.
Today had been a slow day however, and so she had been contemplating how repetitive her tasks as ruler of the Chrystal Empire truly was She hadn't had an opportunity to stretch her wings since her last visit to twilight, she'd be too worn out by the end of the day. Sitting there on the throne and looking pretty, while attempting to stay at full attention took more out of her than she would have thought possible. Of course when she wasn't doing that she was checking up on the health and emotional stability of her crystalline subjects. Cadence was about to resign to the fact that nothing of importance would transpire today, and she might as well get a head start on those official documents that were piled rather intimidatingly high upon her desk in the library. She'd be lucky if she could complete them all by the end of the next two months.
That had been where her train of thought was headed as she rose from her Chrystal throne (it was always a wonder it wasn't uncomfortable) when she was greeted by an unexpected outburst.
"Princess!" She swiveled around to face the direction from where the voice had come form, to see the broad oaken doors at the front of her hall were thrust open by a rather tired looking guard.
"My princess, there- There's been an incident, and I believe you should take a look at this." The light garbed guard hollered, racing towards the Chrystal throne from which the said Princess had begun to rise from and now startled had st back in. The guard took a breath before turning her eyes back to her lady. "Princess Cadence Mi Amore Cadenza, I trust you noticed a strange fluctuation in the energy waves some days ago?"
Cadence's eyes widened, she did indeed, and she told her so. Cadence had shrugged it off, it could have meant anything, a stallion or mare's sudden realization that they were in love, a heart break, it seemed a bittersweet thing, she just couldn't tell for sure why it was twinged with both love and the underlying tones that hinted at something... off. She had felt little of it afterwards, and so assumed it had either been dealt with, or if it arose again she would be ready. In which case sh hired her own guards, though for a different purpose, these were unicorns or any other ponies who could sense love magic or heartbreak. True, she was the strongest of them, but she would need all the help she could get to detect whatever this was, and if she worked alone and missed any signs, what then? No, it would be much better to seek aid with this sort of delicate matter.
She had been right, the depth of her thoughts had detracted her enough to not realize the spell, for that was what it had been, or rather a love potion, that had triggered her senses. It had been repealed, but with that so too had the location of the source been detected.
She strove to hold back her excitement that something was finally happening that could distract he from yet another dull and drab day as ruler of the Chrystal Empire. She folded her wings and sat straighter, though she still leaned forward a bit, and her eyes were filled with genuine concern. Something serious had befallen... well, she would figure it out as soon as the guard recovered from his travels. He appeared to have galloped a great distance to bring her this news.
"What is it?" The princess of love turns her attention/ sights on the guard/ official, and notices her husband doing the same.
She waves him over and encourages the pony to speak, but not before she gave orders for one of the posted guards to get the stallion some water, hew was still panting on her floor.
"Uh, Shining, Cadenza" he bows, sweating now, he's gotten nervous, and wonders why he's the one to do this.
"Yes?"
"Spit it out man!" Shining Armour says a little impatiently. to which Cadence gives him a 'are- you -kidding -me-that's- how- you-handle-this-? look. this-is-seriously-why-I- am-the-one-to-do-this. before turning her head back to the stallion .
"go on, what news do you bring?" Cadence urges her guard to continue. Honestly, her husband needed to mind other ponies a bit more, just coming from training was no excuse.
"Well, There's been a uh, misuse of love magic back in Ponyville your highness."
Cadence raises her eyebrow. "What kind of... misuse are we talking about?"
"Well, uh, it appears to me that some pony has used that old time-y love spell. Ya know... the one that almost doomed an entire kingdom and brought chaos upon all our heads?"
Her face has gone read.
"Uh...princess?" "Honey?" the two stallions say simultaneously, suddenly afraid of this gentle pony.
"I've heard enough, only would you be so kind as to enlighten me on who dared to use such a forbidden spell so thoughtlessly as to the unforeseen consequences?!"
[Htp]
"I still can't believe it." Apple Bloom said, her brow furrowed in thought.
Sweetie Belle looked at her curiously, but thinking that she was referring to the awful deed they had committed, and how their good intentions had turned sour, nodded her head in understanding. "Yeah, I can't believe it either. But I guess some matters just aren't meant to be taken into ones own hooves." Sweetie thought she sounded pretty philosophical, and smiled as she thought of the full entirety of what her words meant.
"No! That's not what Ah meant at all Ah was talkin' bout how the spell failed! Ah mean, it should have work'd shouldn't it 've?"
Scootaloo turned to her friend, with a look that said You're- Seriously -only- worried -about- that- after -all -we- went -through -and -the- lesson- we- supposedly-learned, while Sweetie Belle just face hoofed.
"Think about it, Sweetie, ain't Twilight always tellin' ya to focus on yer magic and what you plan on doing with it And how you have to keep your mind wanderin' to make it work how it's s'posed to?"
"Yeah... but what does that have to do with everything?"
"Isn't it obvious?!" Apple Bloom asked in a frustrated manner. The expressions on her friends' faces told her that obviously it wasn't. It had yet to occur to them.
"Uggghh! ! Do I got ta explain everything?! Well, Potions are different from spells, and what not, but surely nothing was in that potion that would blind Miss Cheerilie and my brother, Macintosh from everything but themselves. I don't recall anything that could have that much power over a pony!'
Unless you count Discord's magic.... I can't believe my sister brought home a rock. Not to mention she kicked me out of the boutique because she was afraid I'd steal it."
"Yeah, my sister was acting funny that day too. So was I and Granny... but that's not the point!"
"What is the point?" Scootaloo asked, scratching her head. She wasn't really trying to put the pieces together, she was too invested in thinking about how odd Rainbow had been acting that day too. She also knew that this whole conversation was beyond her, what did she know of spells or magic wielding? She just busied herself with learning new tricks or fixing her scooter.. That reminded her, she still needed to change that squeaky wheel, so she could go by wheel instead of by hoof.
"The point is that the love potion should have worked! We never meant any harm to come to the two ponies, we only had the best of intentions, and even with that being said, the outcome was still bad, even catastrophic! And I want to know why!"
"It wasn't supposed to work, that's part of the reason. Another, simpler way of answering your questions, is telling you that it couldn't have worked, it was a potion that had been forbidden for a reason/ and with good reason, it interferes with one's free will. No pony's sure why." A mysterious voice uttered from behind the three fillies, who gasped at the sudden new comer.
It was Princess Cadence of the Chrystal Empire!
