Shining's Rise To Power - The Fall Of The Empire

"Well, once I had finished telling them that Chrysalis was dead and no longer a threat. I told them."

"How???"

"Well I..."

****

I went to tell them, When Princess Luna approached.

"Thy see that Thy's nephew is not hurt, but where is Princess Cadence?"

She asked as she did, everypony looked at me with questionable expressions and I again felt horrible, my ears fell and I told them.

"Cadence is no more..." I couldn't bring myself to say dead.

Everypony looked at me with confusion. I then knew I would have to say it but couldn't instead I opted for the word..

"MURDER, she was murdered by that monster!" I didn't mean it to come out that harsh, it just had.

I felt my tears start again as I felt two pairs of wings comfort me; your brother and sister both had wrapped their wings around me and Flurry had started to cry as well, brave stood strong to afraid to let down his guard. (what a soldier, he would become...) Auntie Twilight along with the elements sat in shock and the princesses: Luna and Celestia looked at me for a minute before coming to your siblings side. Luna took your siblings from me, while Celestia took me away from the rest of the group.

She said in the softest tone. "Where is she?"

I didn't reply, just sniffed and lead the way, when we passed the group, I saw twilight go to speak and Celestia gave her a look to wait with everyone else. Deep in side, I think she knew where I was taking her. We walked into the castle past the crumbling throne room and in to the crystal room that had once been a lounge. Now in the room lay two bodies; one a mangled Princess laying along with the form of a beaten and ripped up, monster. The once beautiful blue and purple crystal walls and floor were stained with blood, so was my coat. Celestia walked over to Cadence with the instinct to pick her up. I wasn't having any of it.

"Leave her alone, She's my princess, I will carry her!" I said this in the darkest tone possible. (Again I didn't mean it, it just happened)

Celestia was shocked at first then her face returned to one of sympathy, she knew I hadn't been able to stop Chrysalis, again. But she became even more shocked when she examined Chrysalis's body or what was left of it. She looked at me with horror.

I explained... "She told me in detail, how she killed MY Cady, I was making sure, she wouldn't do it to my foals or any other pony!"

She again looked at me with the eyes of a parent, who was sympathising with a foal, she saw my tears and wrapped me up as I let out all my emotions. I cried like a colt and held on to Celestia, it was as if she was shielding me from all the horrible things that had occurred in the space of 1 day! After about 10 minutes of bawling like a colt and Celestia caressing me, I heard hooves against crystal, I pulled away from the soft wings that seamed to protect me from all of equestria's evil. I saw princess Luna standing in the doorway mouth a gape from the sight of both corpses.

Celestia calmed her sister and we all walked out of the crumbling castle, I had your mother wrapped in a royal blue curtain from my throne. At the sight of us coming out the elements, you 3 foals and both of the princesses captains came rushing over to see me lay cadence down, away from the crumbling castle. All the guards and soldiers bowed their heads to me with respect, their former captain. Their guilt and shame was written in their expressions. After everyone went back to work, my personal captain Flash Sentry came to my side and knelled before me, he said how guilty he felt and I should place the blame on him as he was meant to keep watch. I hugged him as a friend and told him.

"It was my fault, I was her husband, I failed her..."

After I told him to be silent and he went to ready the carriages. The guards and soldiers secured off the empires crystal castle and surrounding area, the princesses declared it was unsafe and was to be pulled down as soon as possible, in the mean time there would be guard posts, stopping any pony endangering themselves.

As a former Captain and a Prince, I took care of the losses and injuries.
we lost -
- Over a hundred royal guards and soldiers.
- Over fifty injured royal guards and soldiers. Most wouldn't/ didn't survive.
- An entire race of ponies - The crystal ponies all but about 15. Most being foals or older ponies.
- Queen of the changelings. (I'm glad!!)
- An alicorn princess...

After everything was safe and counted. Me, you, Brave and Flurry took a royal carriage to Canterlot. We was closely followed by Celestia and Luna, and the six elements. On my lap lay your mother wrapped in the royal blue curtain from the throne room and covered in gold silk, an anniversary present, Celestia and Luna had given us, a along with many other items. I wrapped her in it to honour her with my love, something I hadn't been there to give, when she died. I prayed, she would forgive me.

Once we touched down, in Canterlot many nobles were waiting to see us all. They were shocked to see no cadence but me floating a body shape in to the castle, one noble tried to talk to me, I ignored him with the threat of breaking down, with the four of us in side. Luna and Celestia addressed him to why I had ignored him and the nobles were immensely upset to hear the news of cadences death.

The days blurred as I made the preparations for Cadence's funeral with the help of your siblings playing and caring for you. While the royal sisters and your Auntie tried to help me move on with the fact, Cadence was dead.

During the funeral, you wasn't present. I didn't think it was right for you at weeks old to be at your mothers funeral, so you stayed with the maid. I held your siblings either side of me. Celestia, Luna and twilight along with some nobles said some words. The guests cried, my mother and father were present but I wasn't really aware of it. After the words were said and it was my turn I couldn't talk, your siblings were fully crying, Brave not caring who saw, cried like I did with Celestia at the empire. I asked your Auntie to read what I had written for your mother. I was in my own world re-living the pain of watching chrysalis taunt me. I was later told by my mother that my statement was beautiful and she said that Cadence would be pleased. The flowers was laid and........ and......

****

"and... what dad?

"Sorry Skyla, I don't remember what happen until that night.... it all blurrs into nothing"

"Okay so what happen that night..."

****

Well ... Even though Chrysalis was dead, she still haunted my dreams.

That night especially, I was suddenly woken up by Luna and Celestia, they had rushed in my room of the castle, to find me kicking and screaming, I then explained my nightmare...

"I was walking down the empires halls at night, looking for your mother, when she appeared and then disappeared and then appeared with no head, I thought my eyes where playing tricks on me, but when I woke to find chrysalis on me strangling Cadence. That's when you woke me up."

Luna knew I was having nightmares over Cadence not forgiving me. She aloud me to speak with your mother in a dream.

****

"Yes, before you ask I spoke to your dead mother in my dream..."

****

In the dream, Cadence told me that she was at peace knowing that I had taken care of Chrysalis and that you foals were safe, she then told me to beware of the future and I must stand strong no matter what. She then made me promise that I couldn't punish myself for her death and that Chrysalis tricked her. She stated that: She had been teleported and that I couldn't do anything even if I wanted too. I then kissed her and woke up to see both sisters by my sides.

Throughout the weeks that followed, I stopped having the nightmares and learned to live with Cadence no longer being alive.

But 2 princesses didn't...

****

"King Shining Armour, Princess Skyla."

"Yes Flash Shining Stars, What's the problem."

"Your Dinner meeting with the Saddle Arabian Princess, Princess Sapphire Stone, wasn't it and your highness, please don't pronounce my full name Flash is fine..."

"Then don't use mine, we are friends as well as you being my personal guard m'lady. Now Skyla, I'm sorry I will have to tell you the rest of the story another time. I will see you tomorrow morning for breakfast, yes? or are you going out with your sister?"

"Going shopping with sis!"

"Okay then, love you and behave. Flash can you lead the way please."

"It would be my pleasure My King, good night Princess Skyla."

"Good night dad, night Flash."